The Night's Agents
by Brambleshadow96
Summary: [AU series] Ziva and Tony are Shifters, better known as werewolves. When one of their cases exposes their secret society and has a couple of humans planning their destruction, our two agents have to find out how to stop them—while dealing with their growing relationship, not to mention several cases along the way.
1. Book 1: Strangers in the Night

Nothing is more dangerous than werewolves . . . _**except being in love with a werewolf.**_

Ziva and Tony are Shifters, better known as werewolves. When one of their cases exposes their secret society and has a couple of humans planning their destruction, our two agents have to find out how to stop them—while dealing with their growing relationship, not to mention several cases along the way.

* * *

**Notes:** If you've ever read the Dark Guardian series by Rachel Hawthorne, I basically just took her info and inserted it into my series, even if I may have tweaked it a bit.

To clear up the time frame, it's set in season four, when Tony is on that undercover assignment with Jeanne (I hated that season), but I figured it would work for some situations I have planned (*evil grin*) which I'm not telling you about yet. Season Four is also set in 2011, so that way I don't have to worry about whether a particular song or movie that's referenced existed when season four originally aired.

To clear up any future confusion on the mind-reading thing, Shifters in animal form can read other Shifters' thoughts even when the other Shifters might not be in animal form. True mates can read each other's thoughts at any time, but can turn it off when the other wants privacy.

**Acknowledgments:**  
Thanks to Davorah13 (on ) for giving me the idea of Tony and Ziva at the club . . . while "She-Wolf" is on . . .

The idea for making Kort a Shifter goes to my wonderful co-author on _Karaoke Night_, Valkyrie-chick. Meghan Volkov is also based on her, since she asked if she could be in my story.

Also thanks to Something Generic for coming up with the series' name.

* * *

**The Night's Agents**

**Book One**

_**Strangers in the Night**_

**Summary: **When their prime suspect in an ongoing investigation is murdered, the clues lead to a horrifying pattern for Tony and Ziva.

* * *

Chapter One

NCIS-Mossad liaison officer Ziva David crept through the undergrowth, her partner Anthony DiNozzo hot on her trail. Her sensitive nose picked up the scent they were tracking and her eyes were quick to ferret out any visible clues. It would be easier to . . . But no, she would not risk exposing herself. DiNozzo was the only member on the team who knew her secret, and he had sworn not to tell Gibbs, McGee, Ducky, even Abby. They couldn't risk the consequences if the wrong people found out. Not even her Mossad colleagues knew the truth about Director David's daughter.

Ziva suddenly tensed, a slight growl rising in her throat. Tony's sharp hearing picked it up; his senses were almost as keen as his partner's. (How could they not, when they both had the same . . . _condition_?) She thought at him, _Cover me. She's close._

_On it,_ came the reply.

The Mossad liaison officer slunk closer. She knew McGee and Gibbs would come soon, but hopefully the suspect could be apprehended by then. A few yards ahead, she could see a building through the trees. The lights were on, and she could hear someone moving around inside.

Ziva mentally contacted Tony,_ Forget protocol. I'm going to shift._

_Ziva—_, Tony started to protest, then stopped. _I'm on your six._

She nodded an affirmative, then ducked behind a bush. All Tony could see was her head and shoulders. Then his partner was gone and a dark brown she-wolf stepped out from behind the bush. Only her chocolate-brown eyes remained the same.

_Let's go._ Ziva's voice in his head reminded him that both of them were telepathic in wolf form. The senior field agent hurried after the she-wolf, thinking the infamous last words of Han Solo: _I have a bad feeling about this._

_Oh, quit it,_ Ziva chided, slinking forward until she was at the door. Looking back, she narrowed her very human eyes at Tony. _You coming?_

_Can't you shift back?_

_Oh, sure. That is, if you'd prefer me without any clothes._

Personally, DiNozzo liked that idea. He quickly shoved aside the mental images, reminding himself that she could read his mind.

_Let's get on with it,_ he decided.

Ziva bared her suddenly needle-sharp teeth in a snarl before throwing her head back and letting out a bone-chilling howl. Even though he knew the dark brown wolf in front of his was his partner, tremors of fear crept down Tony's spine.

Luckily, it had the desired effect. The door opened and Petty Officer Phoebe Madison froze as she saw Ziva standing in front of her looking ready to attack. Then her gaze flickered to DiNozzo, and she bolted.

Tony ordered, _Search the house. I've got her._

_Okay._ Ziva didn't try to argue. She hurried back the way she'd come, picked up her clothes, then pelted back, paws thudding on the ground. The female Shifter headed into the small cabin and shifted back to human. After pulling on her black T-shirt, kaki cargo pants, and other clothing, she quickly searched the place.

A laptop computer was running, with an IM conversation going on. The Israeli quickly scanned it to see what it was about, then typed, "Sorry. Gtg." She bagged and tagged the laptop, then ducked out and followed Tony and the petty officer.

Ziva caught up with them a quarter mile away. She put on a burst of speed and emerged from the bushes a few feet in front of Phoebe, gun drawn. "NCIS! Don't move!"

The brunette slowed to a stop when she found herself looking down the barrel of a gun. That gave Tony the opportunity to cuff the petty officer they thought was dealing coke to her shipmates and murdered a rival.

Then they heard cars pull up and McGee and Gibbs came to their aid—not that it was necessary.

"Where is—" The question died on Timothy McGee's lips as he took in the sight before him. "You already got her?" he asked in surprise. "We left you guys forty minutes ago!"

Tony exchanged an uneasy glance with Ziva before saying, "Well, a lot can happen in forty minutes, Probie."

"True," Leroy Jethro Gibbs interrupted. The team leader jerked his head in the direction of the car. "Get in back," he ordered Petty Officer Madison.

Sullenly, she did as she was told.

Ziva suddenly remembered the laptop. She told the team, "Follow me. We found her place. It's out in the hindwoods—"

"Backwoods," Tony corrected.

"—a quarter mile that way," Ziva went on as if her fellow Shifter hadn't spoken. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and started hiking back. The Israeli could hear McGee's fumbling footsteps as he kept tripping over rocks and tree roots, while Tony and Gibbs made their way on silent feet. Sometimes Ziva wondered if her boss was like her and her partner.

Thinking of that caused her to remember her first transformation, when she was seventeen. She had gone through it with a friend of hers, but they'd both agreed that they weren't meant to be mates. (The first time a Shifter transformed into their animal form, the age limit was seventeen for girls, eighteen for guys on the first full moon after said b-day.) Ziva never really liked the unwritten rule that said a guy had to go through it alone, but the girl had to have her "mate" with her

Her gaze flicked over to her partner. She'd only seen him as a wolf once, but wanted it to happen again.

When Shifters morphed, hair became fur, teeth sharpened to become fangs, noses elongated into snouts, and hands and feet became paws. The eyes remained human, so when someone looked into a lycanthrope's eyes, they saw the eyes of a human, not a wolf.

The sound of the door creaking open brought Ziva back to earth with a bump. Quietly, she stepped in after Tony, her eyes flitting around, scanning for any signs of illegal activity.

McGee headed for the laptop that was still in the evidence bag where Ziva had left it. He slipped it out and, logging on, transferred all the data in the portable computer's hard drive to his handy flash drive.

At least five minutes later, the other three returned to the main room empty-handed.

"Let's get the laptop back to Abby," Gibbs said, clearly frustrated that their efforts had been futile.

"On it," Tim, Tony, and Ziva chorused, heading for the door.

Then Tony's undercover cell phone rang. He motioned for the others to go on ahead. When they were out of sight, he answered, "Hi, Jeanne. What'd ya got?"

The pretty doctor he was romancing as part of an assignment replied, "Finally! I've been trying to reach you for the past thirty minutes, but you didn't answer. Is something wrong?"

"No, I was in class," Tony lied. "They were watching a movie, and, well—"

"I know, I know," his "girlfriend" said. "I'll call later if this isn't a good time. See you Saturday?"

"Yeah, sure," he replied half-heartedly. "I gotta go." He hung up before she could say anything else. Tony sighed. Sometimes he hated his undercover assignment, since it meant lying to Jeanne—and to the team, Ziva especially. Jeanne didn't know his secret.

_Tony, get over here—now!_ Ziva suddenly barked in his mind. _We have problems._

_I'm on my way,_ he assured her, breaking into a run.

The sight that greeted him at the car made his blood run cold—if that was possible for a shape-shifter.

Phoebe Madison stared blankly out the car window. There was a huge hole in her forehead and the front of her shirt was red with blood that gushed from a gash in her neck.

* * *

Chapter Two

"Poor girl," Ducky some fifteen minutes later as he bent over the petty officer's prone form.

"Duck, need I remind you she was our top suspect in a murder investigation?" Jethro told the aged M.E.

"No," the medical examiner said. Carefully, he maneuvered the body until it was out of the car. "The body bag, if you please, Mr. Palmer. Let's get her home."

"Of course, Doctor," Ducky's assistant said, bringing over the black bag they used to transport bodies. As they lifted the body, the old Scotsman noticed something in the woman's wounds glinting as it caught light. "Is that silver?"

Tony and Ziva exchanged anxious glances. They could heal quickly from any wound unless the weapon was silver or they were bitten by another Shifter. (If they were shot in the heart or head, they died, but reverted back to human form in death.) If what had killed the petty officer was made of silver, then, well, it didn't look good.

"Hey!"

Both Ziva and Tony winced as the blow fell. Ziva rubbed the back of her head and demanded, "What was that for?!"

Gibbs glared. "I said to head back. Now, are you coming, or should I leave the two of you out for the wolves?"

Smiling thinly at the irony of that statement, the two Shifters slipped into the black Charger. As they started heading back to the Navy Yard, Ziva said to herself, "She couldn't have been one of us. We would've known."

It was true. When one lycanthrope met another, there was an instant connection. Think of it as like calling to like.

DiNozzo reached over and rested his hand on her thigh, reassuring her. Even though it was only for comfort, he could feel her skin growing warm and it felt as though he'd been punched in the gut.

Then Ziva floored the accelerator and Tony was thrown back against the seat. Not even his reflexes could protect him from her driving. "Slow down!"

"Why? I'm only going 50 miles over the speed limit."

"That's exactly why! Ziva, if we get in an accident, God so help me I will personally—"

"I take it that whatever you have in mind will involve the dark, yes?"

"Uh, well . . ."

Ziva smiled triumphantly. "I was right!"

"Shut up," Tony muttered, turning on the radio. His beloved Frank Sinatra floated through the car. The Israeli Shifter hit the gas again, and the black Charger wove its way through traffic to reach the Navy Yard, beating the others by a minute.

When they walked into the squad room from the elevator, Abby came flying towards them. "I just heard! I'm so sorry, guys. I might have liked her, aside from the fact she was dealing cocaine and probably murdered a captain . . . Did you know Sister Rosita bowled a 750 and McGee's new book came out?"

"What?" For a few heartbeats Tony and Ziva looked blankly at the forensic scientist. Then her words registered and they glowered at the author of _Deep Six_, wolfish growls emanating from them.

McGee gulped, noticing the sudden change in his teammates. Right then he was positive they could rip him into bite-sized McGemcity pieces and wolf him down. So to speak.

"No, we wouldn't," Tony said.

Tim glanced sharply at him. "Did you just—"

"Oh, no. Your thoughts were written all over your face."

"Do we have a job to do or not?" Gibbs suddenly spoke up, spooking his team. "Tony, background check; Ziva, try to find out who she was last with; McGee, go help Abby with the laptop we found in Petty Officer Madison's cabin. Try to see if what she was working on had any connection to our other case."

"Aren't we all trying to do that?" said Tony dryly as Tim and Abby vanished to Labby.

Gibbs just rubbed his temple. "I need more coffee." He left to refill at Starbucks.

Now it was just the two of them in the bullpen. Ziva leaned against her partner. "Tony, if what killed her was meant for us—"

"Are you saying the killer thought our victim was a Shifter?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Oh, great. This day just gets better and better." Not knowing why he did what he did next, he dipped his head down toward the side of her neck. His nostrils flared as he inhaled her scent. "You smell like the forest at night."

Surprise sparked from Ziva and she stepped away. "Uh, thanks. Shouldn't you be running a background check?" she asked, suddenly aware of curious stares from other agents.

"Oh, right." DiNozzo sat down in his desk chair a few moments before Gibbs walked in with his fresh cup of coffee. Both Shifters' noses twitched at the pungent aroma, wondering how their boss drank the stuff.

-oOo-

Down in Labby, Abby was taking a drink of Caf-Pow while she and McGee stared at the image of Petty Officer Madison's hard drive on the monitor. "The Wolf" by Heart blared from the stereo near Bert the Hippo.

McGee threw up his hands in frustration. "I don't believe it! We've tried almost every cipher I can think of and we can't decrypt the email messages or IMs! I even tried Morse code!"

Abby looked at him in confusion. "How does Morse code help us?"

"It doesn't."

"What doesn't help us?" asked the team's leader as he came up behind them.

"Morse code."

"Well, did you find anything that _can_ help us?"

"Yep," said Abby. "There were a few documents on the hard drive about her drug deals—prices, names of customers, things like that. She also had a lot of music—mostly classic rock. Not that I normally listen to that, but I do like some of Heart's songs and Def Leppard—"

Gibbs cleared his throat meaningfully and tilted his head toward the stereo, where "The Wolf" was still playing. Abby's eyes widened as she realized her blooper, but forgot all about it when the silver-haired fox handed her some shiny fragments in an evidence jar and a fresh Caf-Pow.

"Wow, all this evidence and Caf-Pow! Is it my birthday?"

The coffee-loving sniper ignored her. "Duck wants you to identify those. They were in the petty officer's wounds."

"Anything for you, o fearless leader."

Gibbs smiled briefly before leaving Abby's lab and heading down to Autopsy. A few minutes later, the doors hissed open and he walked in to find Jimmy Palmer tap-dancing while Dr. Mallard was working on a meat puzzle.

"Uh, am I interrupting something?"

Palmer froze, taking his earphones out. The Autopsy Gremlin shot a look at Ducky that said, "Help me." Luckily for him, the Duckman came to the rescue.

"Have you seen what Agent Hanson brought me?" he asked Jethro, who took a closer look at the human jigsaw puzzle. "The poor man was found in a vat of alcohol."

"Wasn't that a previous case?"

"Oh, no. This fellow was discovered an hour ago."

"Do you have anything on _our_ case, Duck?"

"Of course I do." The NCIS medical examiner flipped on the X-ray screen and put up the X-ray images of Phoebe Madison's neck, head, torso, and extremities. "The cause of death was the gunshot wound to the head, but the throat wound seemed like overkill to me."

"Well," Gibbs said, "if you just about cut someone's head off you know they're dead."

"Good point. The strange part is we've found no defensive wounds on her hands or arms."

"She was handcuffed, Duck."

"Yes, but that's not the point. She still had enough range of motion to defend herself."

"So you're saying she knew her killer."

"Yes."

* * *

Chapter Three

The door to Abby's lab slid open with a hiss of air and the team's two and only Shifters approached the black-haired Goth. "The Wolf" was still playing, since Abby had it on a loop. Both of them froze as they listened to the lyrics:

_". . . But you are only a lonely hunter  
__Some things you can't disguise  
__Just to look in the hallway mirror  
__Now it's howling in your eyes_

_The wolf  
__Prowling in the nighttime  
__The wolf  
__Howling in the moonshine  
__The wolf  
__Gives you what you want but he ain't no friend of mine . . ."_

Ziva felt her hackles rise and her teeth bare in a snarl, slowly sharpening. Tony put a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Take it easy, Zi. It's just a song."

His touch sent a warm current through her and she could feel her canines resuming their normal shape as she calmed down.

Abby must have sensed her presence, since she said, "Hi, guys. What brings you to my humble lab?"

Ziva asked, "Do you have the results on that substance Ducky found in Petty Officer Madison's wounds?"

"Not yet. Major Mass Spec is still—" She was interrupted by the mass spectrometer making a beeping noise. Immediately, she typed a command and the results popped up on the computer screen.

Tony and Ziva eyed them with dread: the fragments were 97% silver.

Right then, Gibbs walked in. "What'd ya got, Abbs?"

Abby spun around to face him. "You know the shiny stuff Ducky found in Phoebe's wounds?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"It's almost pure silver, Gibbs."

McGee remarked, "Isn't silver used to kill werewolves?"

The three of them turned to ask the movie buff, but he and his Mossad sidekick had vanished.

"Where'd they go?" McGee asked.

At a look from his boss, he added hastily, "I'll go look for them." The probie left, the doors hissing shut in his wake.

Before leaving, Gibbs softly pressed his lips to Abby's cheek. "That's good work, Abbs."

She beamed and whirled back around, sucking on her Caf-Pow.

-oOo-

Upstairs, Gibbs stopped and stared in surprise when he saw Ziva and Tony at their desks, working. He wondered, _How did they get up here so fast?_

"Hey, Boss," DiNozzo greeted him. "Ziva's got something on our petty officer."

"What?"

Ziva rose from her chair and grabbed the plasma remote. She pressed a button and brought up some photos and a call log. "Petty Officer Madison was last with a guy called Chris Nixon. According to her email and phone logs, they were contacting each other at least twice a week."

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything," said Tony as he looked at the driver's license photo. Nixon had shaggy blond hair that fell in front of his hazel eyes.

"True, but they were on the phone at least five minutes before we arrived."

"Well, go get him," Gibbs said to Ziva. "Take DiNozzo with you."

He was surprised when neither of them complained, especially when Ziva announced that she was driving. The former Marine eyed the two partners suspiciously. Then they were gone from view as the elevator doors shut with a _ding_.

The Mossad liaison officer leaned back, resting her head on his chest. She said, "Let's try to resolve this without morphing."

"I promise I won't revert to wolf unless I have to."

Ziva felt him stiffen against her as she breathed in deeply, savoring the natural fragrance of his skin. She couldn't help thinking that he smelled like brick and pine needles.

"Why, thank you," Tony said, causing Ziva to jump forward. She whirled to face him, but the elevator doors opened before she could say anything. As they walked out to the car, she seethed, "You were reading my thoughts?!"

Tony fell in beside her as they walked to the car, running a hand through his medium-brown hair. "How can I not? You smell good that I'm always focusing on you . . ."

Ziva stopped dead in her track. Tony ended up taking a few more steps before backtracking. "What?"

"If you can read my mind, you'll know," the Mossad liaison snapped, striding forward until she reached the car. She slid inside the driver's side without waiting for his response.

They were off in a screech of tires.

-oOo-

At least an hour later, they pulled up at Chris Nixon's Tudor-style house, Tony complaining for the hundredth time about Ziva's driving style.

He shut up when Ziva went all rigid.

"Tony, over there. I think I see Chris Nixon." Her eyes had spotted a twenty-something man with shaggy blond hair bent over picking up a newspaper. She strode forward, sensing her partner fall into step behind her. "Chris Nixon?"

"Yeah?" He looked up, eyes wary. They narrowed when he saw the two tough-looking Shifters. "Who are you and what do you want?"

Tony flashed his badge. "NCIS Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. This is Officer David."

"Did something happen to Phoebe?" Chris asked, worry flashing in his hazel eyes.

"Well, you could say that," said Ziva. "She was killed this morning shortly after she talked to you."

Nixon paled. "You think she was murdered because of our conversation?"

_No,_ Ziva thought. She couldn't tell him that, so she flashed back, "What were you talking about?"

Chris shifted his weight, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "Can we do this inside, please?" He moved toward the front door, opened it, and entered the house. Exchanging glances, the two Shifters followed, Tony muttering, "I hate dealing with Statics," under his breath.

"Then why did you become a cop?" Ziva whispered.

"So I can stick my nose into other people's business."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Um, excuse me?" Chris broke into their conversation. "Were we going to take all day? I need to be somewhere in an hour."

Ziva felt flustered, but hid it as she said smoothly, "What exactly were you and Petty Officer Madison talking about on the phone?"

"She said that you guys were after her—no surprise there—and that she'd seen something that had her pretty freaked out."

"Can you remember what?" Tony asked urgently.

"Something about wolves? No, werewolves."

Ziva could see her own shock reflected in her partner's eyes. Quickly regaining her cool composure, the Israeli Shifter said, "Where were you at nine twenty-five this morning?"

"It's Friday. I was at work. Check with my boss if you don't believe me."

"You just got off work at ten fifteen in the morning?" Ziva asked, puzzled.

"I work the graveyard shift," Chris said defensively. "Now, are we done?"

Ziva glanced at Tony, who shrugged. "Yeah."

"Good. Beat it."

The Mossad liaison forced down the growl that was rising in her throat and handed him her card. "Call us if you remember anything else." Then she turned and walked briskly out of the house, DiNozzo bounding after her.

Once they were outside, she couldn't hold back a frustrated snarl. "Just who did he think he was?!"

"Well, it _is_ his house, Zi."

"That doesn't give him the right to—" She stopped and spun around as she felt eyes boring into her back. "Do you feel that?"

"What?"

"We're being watched."

Tony wheeled around, but not before Ziva caught sight of the curtain behind the window swishing back into place. She shook her head, ponytail bouncing, and suggested, "Why don't we run for a bit? The others won't expect us for a while."

The senior field agent shrugged, but there was something predatory in his eyes. He teased, "Biped or four-legged?"

Ziva started jogging, heading for a nearby copse of trees. Sighing, Tony started to follow her, but stopped when his cell phone rang—his alias's cell. After casting a longing glance at Ziva, he answered it. "Hi, Jeanne."

"Hey, Tony," she began.

"I'm sorry, but this really isn't a good time. Look, how about you meet me tomorrow night around eight for dinner?"

"Okay." Did she sound disappointed, or was it just him?

"I'll see you then," DiNozzo told her, hanging up. Looking back at Ziva, he stiffened when he saw her wolf head sticking out of the trees. In wolf form, Ziva always took his breath away.

_Come on, Tony. I don't have all day._

From where she was in the trees, Ziva could see his mouth hitch up in a smile. Then he was striding towards her, green eyes glinting mischievously. Ziva turned her back as he ducked behind a bush; then Tony was gone and the wolf stepped out.

His medium brown coat shone as the sunlight dappled it. Ziva stood staring for a few heartbeats, then shook herself, dark brown fur rippling. _Let's run,_ she thought, flicking his nose with her tail as she pelted away.

A shiver ran through her as she felt Tony's pelt brush hers, and then there was nothing but the wind caressing her fur and the feeling of flying over the ground.

* * *

Chapter Four

Leroy Jethro Gibbs was _not_ a happy camper. Abby and McGee could see that right away as the team's leader stormed over to Tony and Ziva—who had just returned from talking with Chris Nixon—and demanded, "_Where have you been_?"

"Probably getting it on somewhere," Abby muttered under her breath. She was positive neither field agent heard her, so she was surprised when Ziva's head snapped in her direction, some emotion the Goth couldn't identify flickering in her eyes.

"We were following a lead," Ziva told the team leader, "not, as Abby put it, getting it off."

"Uh, Zi, it's 'getting it on'," Tony corrected, his cheeks flushing.

"Well, I have to go back to my lab," Abby piped up, seeking to disrupt the sudden awkward tension. "You know how my babies are when I leave them alone for too long. McGee, come on. I need you with me." She yanked the stupefied probie out of view of the others, dragged him behind her all the way to the elevator, and shoved him in. Looking back out towards Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs, she had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at their puzzled expressions.

"Could you tell me what you're planning sometime today, Abby?" McGee asked.

She grinned. "Surely you've noticed how they're always flirting with each other, Timmy. I think Ziva's jealous of Tony's new girlfriend."

He did a facepalm. "Abby, every single time you try to set them up, it backfires. Every single time."

"But Timmy—"

"No. Shouldn't we be working on the case?"

Abby sighed. "Okay. Besides, who would buy silver bullets anyway?"

"Someone on a werewolf hunting expedition?" McGee suggested as the twosome walked towards Labby.

"Good point." Abby sat down at the computer, grabbed a Caf-Pow, and went to work.

-oOo-

Meanwhile, Gibbs was still chewing out his senior field agent and Mossad liaison officer. He spat, "Don't either of you do that again!"

Ziva wasn't listening; she was focusing on Tony—his clear, green eyes, dark hair, tawny skin . . . She drew in her breath, almost able to feel his hands playing over her back.

"Now, did you find anything that can help us find who killed Petty Officer Madison?" Gibbs's voice broke into her fantasy.

Luckily, DiNozzo came to Ziva's rescue. He told their boss, "She might have seen something she shouldn't have."

"Like what?"

"Well, Nixon told us that she was babbling on about something"—he paused, knowing how ridiculous it would sound, Ziva thought—"dealing with the . . . supernatural. Madison also knew we were investigating her, although I don't know how she found out."

"She was tipped off . . ." The former Marine's voice trailed away and he looked up toward MTAC. Ziva couldn't help give a reflexive smirk as she saw Director Jenny Sheppard leaning over the railing staring at Gibbs. Smiling slightly, the blue-eyed redhead gestured for Gibbs to join her.

"Saved by the Director," the Mossad liaison muttered as Gibbs made his way to his former lover.

Tony let out a bark of laughter before correcting, "The expression is 'saved by the bell,' Ziva."

"No, in this case, it _is _the Director." She pointed at Jen, who was walking with Jethro to MTAC. Then a thought struck her. "What was the name of the song Abby was playing earlier?"

"'The Wolf'," Tony replied. Then he asked suspiciously, "Why do you want to know?"

"I want to listen to it."

Her partner shook his head. "After your reaction earlier, I thought you wouldn't. You never cease to amaze me, my crazy ninja."

She punched him on the upper arm. "Just play it, will you?"

"Sure." Humming a Frank Sinatra song, he set himself to work, the keys tapping furiously. At least thirty seconds later, he hit Play and a heavy rock beat filled the bullpen. Finally Ann Wilson's voice accompanied the music.

_You were born to privilege  
__Licking on a silver spoon  
__You think you gotta buy all your friends  
__Just so you can tear up the room_

_But your kind is a dime a dozen  
__I've seen it all before  
__A parasite in a good disguise  
__Just another wolf at the door_

_The wolf  
__Prowling in the nighttime  
__The wolf  
__Howling in the moonshine  
T__he wolf  
__Gives you what you want but he ain't no friend of mine_

Ziva said, "This song is so you, DiNozzo."

He glared, but before he could reply, the lyrics started up again:

_You lay it on oh so sweet  
__Just like that bad cologne  
__You're just smilin' tooth and nail  
__Got to make your presence known_

_But you are only a lonely hunter  
__Some things you can't disguise  
__Just to look in the hallway mirror  
__Now it's howlin' in your eyes_

_The wolf  
__Prowling in the nighttime  
__The wolf  
__Howling in the moonshine  
__The wolf  
__Gives you what you want but he ain't no friend of mine_

Ziva tensed, wondering if the rest of the team saw what she and Tony tried so hard to hide. _Don't be ridiculous,_ she scolded herself. _They would have said something._ That reminded her of the case and their suspicions . . .

_Silent slick and stealthy  
__Slinking through your evil nights  
__You can see in the dark they tell me  
__The daylight burns your eyes_

_I know you're trying to track me down now  
__You're right on my trail  
__You thinking you're going for the big big game  
__But you're just chasing your own tail_

_The wolf  
__Prowling in the nighttime  
__The wolf  
__Howling in the moonshine  
__The wolf  
__Gives you what you want but he ain't no friend of mine_

The Israeli smirked at her partner, who said defensively, "I am not chasing after you, Zee-vah!"

Her smirk vanished as she said darkly, "Well, _someone_ is hunting either us or our kind. Remember the silver bullet that was used to murder Phoebe Madison?"

That comment pretty much killed DiNozzo's playful attitude. "Thank you for reminding me, Ziva," he said sarcastically.

"_De nada_."

* * *

Chapter Five

The next morning, Ziva arrived at work to find Tony was already at his desk. That was odd enough, but what was really unusual was the fact that he was _working_. Well, he wasn't reading his favorite magazine (he was reading a book) and he was on the computer.

"Is something wrong, Tony?" Ziva asked, deciding to forgo her usual Internet browsing ritual so she could question her partner.

His green eyes met her brown ones. Ziva felt several emotions—desire, lust, fear—rocket through her, catching her off guard. At the same time, she was all too aware of the fact that they were alone (McGee hadn't arrived yet and Gibbs was elsewhere) in the bullpen. She was snapped out of her chaotic thoughts as Tony replied, "I was doing some research, Zee-vah."

"What kind of research?"

"About the case. I was checking to see if anyone in the D.C. area had bought silver bullets lately, but nothing so far."

"Aren't Abby and McGee already doing that?"

"Well, yeah," he admitted, "but I figured it couldn't hurt to look at it from a different angle."

"You two, gym, now."

Tony jumped and Ziva almost stabbed her boss. Gibbs really needed to wear something with bells so they would know he was coming. Although with their senses, she supposed, they should have smelled him. The problem was, she'd been so focused on DiNozzo.

The Mossad liaison couldn't help feel excited at the prospect of a workout. After changing into her gym clothes, she headed out to the wrestling mat.

"DiNozzo, go with her," Gibbs ordered, moving over to the punching bag.

The senior field agent didn't try to back out. Instead, he shot Ziva a feral grin. "This is gonna be fun."

She smirked and began stretching. "Don't try too hard. We all know I'm going to take you down."

McGee suddenly burst in, wearing NCIS sweats. "Sorry I'm late, Boss. I was late catching a bus, and—"

"McGee, Rule Number Six. I don't care why you're late. Now, are you ready to box?"

Tim's jaw hung slack. He stammered, "B-b-b-b-box?"

"That's what I said." Gibbs sounded irritated. "Grab a pair of gloves and join me."

Ziva chuckled. "He's not going to last." She finished stretching and stood up, circling Tony. He copied her, waiting for the first strike.

When Tony went high, aiming for her torso, Ziva ducked low. She grabbed his legs and used his momentum to toss him behind her onto the floor. Then she pounced, but Tony rolled out of the way. As soon as she landed, he was on her, gripping her wrists and holding them behind her back. Ziva thrashed, the wolf inside her not at all happy with being restrained. She hadn't counted on him being so strong. However, she figured she had agility on her side.

Tony's hands slipped. Immediately Ziva flipped over, brought up her foot, and kicked him. He scrambled off her, and she pounced again, bringing them both to the floor. All at once she was pressing too close against him. Her nostrils flared as she inhaled his scent, and she had to fight a ridiculous urge to say something alone the lines of making love instead of war. She couldn't say that in front of Gibbs, though. Instead, all she said was, "I'm done here," and rolled off him.

After helping Tony up, she glanced over at the boxing ring. Tim was knocked out, tongue lolling. Ziva had to bite her tongue to keep in a bark of laughter.

Gibbs stood over the probie, nudging him gently with his shoe. "Come on, McGee. Get up."

McGee's eyes snapped open. He tried to sit up, groaned instead, and put a hand to his temple. "Geez, Boss, do you have to hit so hard?"

"What are you talking about? I didn't hit you _that_ hard."

Ziva couldn't help it. She cracked up. The rest of the team swung their heads toward her, Tony's quizzical expression reminding her of a dog tilting its head in confusion. "Ziva, what's so funny?" he asked.

"McGee being knocked out on the first punch. I guess you could say Gibbs hit him with his best shot."

"Ooo, I love that song," Tony said. As he started singing, Ziva clamped her hand over his mouth. She warned, "One note, and I will lock you up in a room and have you listen to 'It's a Small World' for twenty-four hours straight. Are we clear?"

He nodded. _Please don't follow through._

She started to say, "I won't," but stopped just in time. He hadn't spoken out loud. Was it significant that they could read each other's thoughts when they weren't in wolf form? Soul mates were supposed to be completely in tune, and since they were related to wolves, their kind mated for life. Was it possible that Tony . . .

_No. It can't be._

"Come on. Abby's got something," Gibbs said as he snapped his phone shut. Ziva was jolted out of her confusing thoughts. She shoved them to the back of her mind as she went into the locker room to change before heading to Labby.

-oOo-

Music blared from the stereo. This time it was "She Wolf" by Shakira. Not Abby's usual choice in music, but since this case seemed to be dealing with Shifters, the Goth was probably playing every song dealing with wolves or werewolves that she could find. As long as she didn't start playing "Thriller" anytime soon, Ziva didn't mind the change in music.

"Abby, what'd ya got?" Gibbs asked, almost shouting to be heard above the song.

Apparently she heard him, since the volume toned down enough that they could talk without having to yell. Abby twisted around with a smile on her face. She said triumphantly, "I was able to get the recording of Petty Officer Madison's last phone call."

"You can do that?"

"Yes."

"Play it," the silver-haired fox ordered.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard; then the whole team could hear Phoebe Madison's last phone call.

_"Chris." She sounded panicked._

_"Yeah, Phoebe?"_

_"I need help. NCIS is onto me. I saw something I shouldn't have."_

_His voice sharpened. "What?"_

_"This may sound crazy, but I think I saw werewolves."_

_"Werewolves?" He laughed. "You must have been seeing things."_

_"I wasn't. Chris, I—" She broke off as a howl came from outside. "They're here!"_

There was nothing more after that.

After a few heartbeats, DiNozzo summed it up: "That's creepy."

"Ya think, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said sarcastically. He turned to leave, but Abby grabbed his arm in a vice-grip. "Wait, there's more."

"What?"

"We were able to trace the silver bullet. We ran the serial number and found there are only two places in D.C. who manufacture them. Who knew so many stores sold silver bullets?"

Gibbs coughed lightly, reminding the excitable Goth to stay on track. She did just that after taking a sip of Caf-Pow.

"Chris Nixon—"

She was interrupted by a low growl. Startled, everyone except Tony and Ziva looked around for the source. Then Ziva felt their eyes rest on her. _Why are they looking at me like that?_ She looked down and studied her hands, which—to her immense relief—were still human.

"Ziva, calm down," Tony murmured.

His words made Ziva realize that _she_ was the one growling. Immediately, she stopped, hoping she hadn't given their secret away. Abby could handle it, but she wasn't so sure about Palmer, Ducky, McGee, Gibbs, or Jenny.

The team was still staring at her. Abby said, "Is it just me, or did that sound like a wolf?"

Tony laughed, but it sounded forced to Ziva. "What, you're saying you believe in werewolves, Abby? Everyone knows they only exist in movies, books, and TV shows."

"I'm not saying I do, Tony, but ever since the start of this case the two of you have been acting a bit strange."

"Abby, the case," prompted Gibbs.

"Oh, right. As I was saying, Nixon bought a pack of 'em a few days ago. That howl was really creepy. Do you think she actually saw werewolves?"

"Abby, how many Caf-Pows have you had today?"

"I think this is my fifth."

"Let's try not to break the record, Abby."

"You're right. That was ugly."

McGee spoke up for the first time since entering Labby. "Where'd that howl come from?"

Ziva exchanged an uneasy glance with DiNozzo. They hadn't arrived until five minutes later, so where had the howl come from? Ziva hadn't scented anyone—or anything—else. Could the call have been faked?

She hoped so. If it had, then her and Tony's suspicions were correct.

Another thought occurred to her: could the petty officer have recorded the howl some other time, then played it back on her laptop computer? It had been running, after all. There had been an IM conversation going on when she and DiNozzo had interrupted. She'd even read it, for crying out loud! Voicing her train of thought, Ziva asked, "Anything else on the laptop?"

McGee started, "The messages were encrypted—"

"I could read it," Ziva reminded them.

Abby gasped. "Of course! It's a foreign language! Thanks, Ziva!" Rushing forward, she hugged her tightly.

"Careful, Abby," Ziva choked. "Need—air."

"Sorry." The Goth forensic scientist released the ninja assassin and turned back to her computer. Typing furiously, she ordered, "McGee, stay here. I need you to help. Gibbs, Ducky wants to see you."

Gibbs nodded, a small smile on his face, before heading out. The silver-haired fox ordered, "Tony, Ziva, head back to Petty Officer Madison's house. See what you can find."

"On it, Boss," they chorused, exiting Abby's lab for the elevator.

DiNozzo snatched the Charger's keys out of Ziva's hand once they were inside. "This time, _I'm _driving."

"Of course."

While they were making their way to the car in the parking lot, Ziva couldn't help tuning her partner's thoughts, only to find nothing that would help her find out what was troubling him. She started to ask what was wrong, then decided against it. He would tell her when he was ready.

When they were a few miles away from the Navy Yard, Ziva turned on the radio, hoping to break the sudden tension between her and Tony. Unfortunately, she didn't recognize the song until it reached the first verse:

_S.O.S. she's in disguise  
__S.O.S. she's in disguise  
__There's a she wolf in disguise  
__Coming out, coming out, coming out_

Abby was playing this same song earlier, the Israeli Shifter remembered. Tony said, "Wasn't Abby—"

She shushed him so they could listen.

_A domesticated girl that's all you ask of me  
__Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy  
__The moon's awake now with eyes wide open  
__My body's craving so feed the hungry_

Ziva exchanged a glance with her partner, and was startled to find he was looking at her with a heated intensity in his eyes. "Tony, it's just a—"

"But it's slightly true." He grinned. "This isn't a joke."

Her heartstrings tugged. She suddenly wanted him to kiss her . . .

_Snap out of it, _she told herself.

_I've been devoting myself to you Monday to Monday and Friday to Friday  
__Not getting enough retribution or decent incentives to keep me at it  
__I'm starting to feel just a little abused like a coffee machine in an office  
__So I'm gonna go somewhere cozy to get me a lover  
__And tell you all about it_

_There's a she wolf in your closet  
__Open up and set her free  
__There's a she wolf in the closet  
__Let it out so it can breathe_

Again she was all too aware of Tony's eyes on her. Warmth flooded her. Ziva frantically tried to focus on anything else except her fellow Shifter.

Why was it she couldn't go five seconds without thinking about him?

To help her out, or so it seemed, Shakira started singing again. The Mossad liaison found herself humming along.

_Sitting at a bar, staring right at her prey  
__It's going well so far, she's gonna get her way  
__Nocturnal creatures are not so prudent  
__The moon's my teacher and I'm her student_

"To paraphrase, this song is totally you, Ziva," Tony commented.

"Just keep your eyes on the road and your mind out of the streets," she shot back.

"It's 'out of the gutter,' Zee-vah."

_To locate the single men I got me a special radar  
__And the fire department hotline in case I get in trouble later  
__Not looking for cute little divas or rich city guys that just want to enjoy  
__But having a very good time and behaving very bad in the arms of a boy_

Ziva felt, rather than saw, Tony grin. "Yep, this sounds like you."

"Shut it," she growled, eyes flashing.

_There's a she wolf in the closet  
__Open up and set her free  
__There's a she wolf in your closet  
__Let it out so it can breathe_

_S.O.S. she's in disguise  
__S.O.S. she's in disguise  
__There's a she wolf in disguise  
__Coming out, coming out, coming out_

_S.O.S. she's in disguise  
__S.O.S. she's in disguise  
__There's a she wolf in disguise  
__Coming out, coming out, coming out_

_There's a she wolf in your closet  
__Let it out so it can breathe_

"Let's change the station, shall we?" Ziva suggested.

Her partner nodded and changed it to a country station. Ziva made a face. "Anything but that."

A moment later, Frank Sinatra could be heard.

"No."

Tony whined, "But, Ziva, it's Sinatra!"

She ignored him, and a hard rock song filled the black Charger. DiNozzo smiled, recognizing the opening chords. "Good choice."

"Huh?"

"Listen."

_After midnight  
I call you  
Even though I know better  
I just got to  
The moon is full  
My heart is hot  
And you know what I'm longing to do  
With this aching I got_

"Tony . . ." warned Ziva.

_The call of the wild  
Oh baby can't you hear me calling  
Oooh . . .  
The call of the wild  
Call of the wild_

"What? It's completely ironic! You know, considering how we find our mate and all."

"If you value your life, stop talking."

_How can you ask me  
Why I'm pushing pushing  
When you know damn well  
What you do  
What you do to a woman  
I get so inspired  
Lying so close  
It's the flash and the flame and the fever  
I need the most_

_The call of the wild  
Oh baby can't you hear me calling  
Oooh . . .  
The call of the wild_

"Don't even think about it."

"Were you tapping into my thoughts?"

Ziva just sighed in exasperation. She knew that when they met their other half, it was like a kick to the gut, but _Tony_? Ridiculous.

Or not.

_If I could chain you to me_  
_I'd do it in a minute_  
_My magic caravan_  
_Baby you'd be in it_  
_I'm hiding the prize and you're gonna win it_  
_You're gonna win it now_

_The call of the wild_  
_Oh baby can't you hear me calling, calling_  
_Oooh_  
_The call of the wild_  
_Oooh_  
_The call of the wild_  
_Oooh_  
_Oh baby_  
_Listen to me howling_

_The call of the wild_  
_Yeah_  
_Oooh_  
_Yeah_

Glaring at DiNozzo, Ziva switched off the radio.

"What are you doing tonight, Tony?" she asked, hoping to start a conversation.

"What? Oh, I'm just going out with a friend of mine for dinner. You're not planning on crashing, are you?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

It took a while for Tony to answer. When he did, he replied slowly, "Well, it's just that you always seem to be a bit . . . jealous whenever I'm around other women. It actually wouldn't surprise me if you _did_ follow me."

"You know I'd find you anywhere."

"With that amazing nose you possess, no doubt."

"I think you passed our victim's house."

Ziva bit back a grin as he did a U-turn and pulled into the deceased's driveway. The place where they had tracked her down was a cabin she owned and occasionally used. This was Petty Officer Phoebe Madison's real home.

Thirty minutes later, they returned to the black Charger loaded with evidence bags. When they brought all the evidence down to Labby, the two Shifters stopped dead in the doorway.

Abby and McGee were quote-unquote dancing to some song resonating through the room. Well, Abby was dancing. McGee looked like he was having a seizure.

Ziva's jaw dropped. Tony whispered, "That is something no one should have to see."

"Dead right."

Slowly, they started to slink away. Their plans for a swift getaway were thwarted when Abby spotted them and called out, "Hey, guys! Did you bring me anything?"

Cringing, the two Shifters turned to see the perky Goth looking at them expectantly. When they handed her their armloads of evidence bags, she smiled happily and whirled back to the table. "Now, leave. I have lots of work to do."

Tony and Ziva were happy to oblige. They hightailed it out of there without a second invitation, the chords of "Thriller" following them out.

-oOo-

"Poor dear," Ducky said as he bent over the deceased. "To be hunted down and then killed like that . . . This sort of reminds me of those old werewolf legends. Did you know that the fact they can only be killed by silver is a recent establishment?"

"No, I didn't, Doctor," Palmer said from where he was washing his hands. The Autopsy Gremlin looked up as Gibbs came in.

"You wanted to see me, Duck?"

"Oh, yes, Jethro." Ducky left Phoebe Madison's body from where he was performing the autopsy and walked over to the X-ray screen. Lighting it up, he pointed out some abnormalities. "I was able to confirm the cause of death, but there was something that caught my eye. You see the nicks in the rib cage here, here, and here?"

The former Marine nodded.

"Well, I didn't find any corresponding marks on the body. There's also this." The M.E. returned to the petty officer and pointed out a tattoo on her arm. "It says _loup-garou_. That's French for—"

"Werewolf," Gibbs finished.

"Picked up a bit of French when you were in Paris, Jethro?"

"Aw, come on, Duck. You know I don't like to talk about that."

"Dropping the subject. Why would she have a tat that translates to 'werewolf'?"

"That's what I'm going to find out. You need anything else, Duck, call."

"Very funny."

But the coffee-loving sniper was gone.

-oOo-

Back in her lab after the senior field agent and his Mossad liaison had flown the coop, Abby started busying herself with all the evidence. McGee was back to working on the laptop while listening to "Wide Awake in Dreamland." After an hour of silence, Abby decided to use Elf Lord as a sounding board. "McGee, I know you said that we shouldn't try to hook Tony and Ziva up, but it's fate! They're going to end up together sooner or later, you know."

Probie-Wan-Kenobi didn't answer.

The Caf-Pow-loving scientist was unfazed. She continued, "We all know it's going to happen, even Gibbs. I mean, some rules are meant to be broken. Are you even listening to me?"

He didn't even blink.

Her fist connected with his shoulder.

"Ouch!"

She grinned. "Good to see you're awake, _Elf Lord_."

That did it. A passerby outside froze and dropped his clipboard as Abby's yell of "Ow!" sounded through the door. (Yes, she could yell _that_ loud.)

-oOo-

As darkness fell and Gibbs cut his team loose for the day, Tony drove to the restaurant where he had arranged to meet Jeanne the previous day. He liked her and all, but she was a Static (Shifters' derogatory term for humans) for one thing, and he couldn't seem to get Ziva out of his head.

Still, he was relieved when he saw Jeanne sitting at a table. The pretty brunette greeted him with a warm smile as he joined her. "Hi, Tony."

"I'm glad you could make it," he replied.

For the next twenty minutes there was silence as they devoured their food. When Tony was finishing the last of his burger (done medium rare—generally Shifters liked nothing more than red meat), Jeanne asked, "How was your day, Tony?"

"Okay. We were watching— Wait, you probably wouldn't want to know what it was about."

"No, I would."

He grinned. "Werewolves." What? Hollywood's take on his kind was hilariously off base. Then Ziva's face flashed in his mind again. He could almost smell her nearby...

"Tony, is there something—or some_one_—else I should know about?"

He smiled reassuringly. "Why would you think that?"

"You've been distracted the entire time we've been here, like your mind is elsewhere. Now, _is _there someone else?"

DiNozzo hesitated a moment too long. That gave Jeanne her answer. She pushed back the chair and bolted. Throwing down some cash to pay, he followed, but she was too far ahead already.

Then he heard the shriek coming from an alley.

_Oh, crap. Jeanne!_

* * *

Chapter Six

The undercover NCIS agent was running in the direction he'd heard Jeanne's scream from when he became aware of a figure sprinting alongside him. He hissed, "Ziva, what are you doing here?"

"Helping you!" she shot back, skidding to a halt as she neared the alley. Carefully, she poked her head around the corner. Tony copied her, hardly believing what he saw. They quickly withdrew.

Ziva whispered, "I don't suppose you have any weapons?"

"No, I'm undercover. Do you?"

She shook her head.

"Great. So what's the plan?"

"Simple. We shift, kill everyone except Jeanne, and leave."

"Thank you, General Eisenhower."

"Unless you have a better idea."

He didn't. Within a minute, both of them had shifted into their wolf forms. Snarling, they slunk into the alley, their brown pelts merging into the building. Ziva's dark brown eyes made her almost invisible, while Tony's green eyes shone in the amber streetlight. His lighter pelt would make it easier for the muggers to see him, he realized. There was nothing he could do about it now.

Ziva ordered, _You go for the fat one. I'll take out the other two._

_Since when are you in charge? I'm the senior field agent!_

Instead of answering him, the Mossad liaison growled menacingly and leaped. Sighing, DiNozzo lunged for the fat man. His needle-sharp teeth sank into the guy's shoulder. Yelling in pain, the dude stepped away from the cowering doctor and tried to hit Tony—which was impossible since the big wolf was on his back.

Tony leaped clear and slowly advanced, lip curled to show his teeth and hackles bristling. Terrified, the mugger turned and ran without need for a second warning.

DiNozzo let out a small huff of satisfaction before asking, _Hey, Ziva, you need some help?_

_Yes! _His partner let out a yelp as one of the guys she was attacking kicked her off his partner-in-crime. Immediately Tony hurried to his partner's side. Already her wounds were healing. Even in the heat of battle, only a serious wound was a problem, because they continued healing, providing Shifters a sort of living armor.

One of them, a skinny guy with dark hair and blue eyes, gasped in horror, "_Loup-garou_!"

_Oh, great,_ thought Tony, _he's French._

_Thank you for the observation,_ Ziva snapped. _Now, a little help, please?_

The senior field agent knew he had to go for the throat if the opportunity presented itself. Soon, both offenders were no longer moving.

_Well done, Tony, _thought Ziva. _I told you if anyone gave you trouble to take those beautiful teeth of yours, sink them into their neck, and not let go until the body stops shaking._

_Nice _Alpha and Omega _reference._

_Thanks._

A horrified gasp reminded the two wolves that they weren't alone. Tony swung his head over to Jeanne, who he'd risked revealing his kind's existence to save. The woman shrank back as the senior field agent padded over, fear in her eyes. Wanting to reassure her, Tony licked her hand.

_Tony, we have to go,_ Ziva reminded him.

_Oh, right._

The two of them turned their backs on the doc and trotted away. As soon as the coast was clear and they gathered their clothes, Tony and Ziva shifted back into their human forms. Then, while the Mossad liaison watched from nearby, DiNozzo walked over to Jeanne. As always, it amazed him that Shifters could move so quietly.

Jeanne's head snapped up to face him when he put a hand on her shoulder. "Get away from me!" she cried.

"What's wrong, Jeanne? Were you attacked?"

"You know very well what happened!" she hissed. "You rescued me, after all."

Tony decided to continue playing dumb. "How could I have? I was blocks behind you."

"Oh, maybe not as a _human_. As a wolf."

"I think you must have—"

She slapped his hand away from where it was probing her wounds. "How come you never told me that you can go all furry, Tony?"

"Jeanne—" He tried to help her up, but she shoved him away. "Stay away from me, _werewolf_!" the enraged woman spat. She pushed herself to her feet and limped rapidly away. Glaring back, Jeanne snapped bitterly, "I wish I'd never met you." She vanished into the night without another word.

When the brunette doctor was gone, Ziva walked over to Tony, carefully picking her way among the bodies. The Mossad liaison said, "Go after her! Let her know that—"

"Did you not see the way she looked at me, Ziva? All we did was horrify her, and we had to shift to save her life!" His voice rose until he was almost yelling. "I'll be lucky if she ever wants to see me again! If the Director found out about this—"

"Whoa, wait," interrupted Ziva. "What does Director Sheppard have to do with this?"

"I told you I was undercover. She's my assignment." DiNozzo paused to let his words sink in before he smiled weakly. "Since my date is a wash-out, you wanna hang out?"

Was it his imagination, or did she look excited at the prospect? Before he could react, Ziva leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. He found himself wanting so much more. What Tony felt for his partner scared him so much that he'd pushed it away and focused on Jeanne. But now that La Grenuioulle's daughter was out of the picture . . .

Ziva smiled. "What kind of person would I be if I didn't take you up on that offer, Tony?"

"Wait, which one?"

"Spending the night with you. I don't know what other offer you were talking about."

So she hadn't been reading his thoughts. Tony almost sighed with relief. Smiling, he replied, "Great. There's this club nearby . . ."

-oOo-

Ziva followed Tony into the club and was immediately bombarded by sights and sounds. If she was human it would have been bad enough, but with her heightened senses it was almost too much to take in. To make matters worse, a familiar song was beginning to play.

"The same song twice in one day," Ziva groaned. "You've got to be kidding."

"Aw, come on, Ziva! Sing along!" Tony pleaded, twirling her around underneath his raised arm.

An idea came to the Israeli, and she grinned. Sashaying her hips, she ran her hands up the sides of her body and lifted her hair off her neck, testing her power over her fellow Shifter. She started singing:

_"A domesticated girl, that's all you ask of me_

_Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy_

_The moon's awake now with eyes wide open_

_My body's craving, so feed the hungry"_

_Now_ she had his attention. Shivering with some emotion she couldn't make out, Ziva noticed Tony was looking at her with more intensity than he was that afternoon. Meeting his gaze, Ziva found she couldn't look away, and her body reacted with a jerk of awareness. Honestly, she didn't know why she wanted to kiss him so badly. Or maybe she did: the call of the wild. His heated eyes rested on her lips as if maybe he was thinking along the same lines.

To distract themselves, Ziva started singing along again, only this time she began twining herself around her partner.

_"Sitting at a bar, staring right at her prey_

_It's going well so far, she's gonna get her way_

_Nocturnal creatures are not so prudent_

_The moon's my teacher and I'm her student"_

She felt a teasing grin easing across her face as she tormented him. Then her gaze fell on a familiar face in the sea of dancing bodies. "What's Chris Nixon doing here?" she hissed in Tony's ear.

DiNozzo whirled around, eyes bulging out as he saw Nixon staring right at them. "Maybe he's following us around," the senior field agent suggested, only half-joking.

"Why would he do that?"

"Halloween is next week. Let's just head out, okay, Zee-vah?"

"Sounds great to me."

-oOo-

Chris Nixon watched the two NCIS agents leave from where he was standing a few feet away. He'd been so close this time . . . Next time, there wouldn't be any mistakes. Besides, if these two were what he suspected they were, they wouldn't let him live. Nixon would just have to be more careful.

He followed the two of them and paused when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. In the dark alley, he made out the forms of two bodies. Warily, Chris moved forward to inspect the corpses. Even with his untrained eye, he could tell they hadn't been dead long. Then he saw the bitemarks on both men's throats. A smile of satisfaction crawled over his face.

"Soon," he murmured, "soon . . ."

* * *

Chapter Seven

Jeanne made it another block when she felt the limp in her leg fading. She kept flashing back to the alley and the wolves coming to her rescue. Horror filled her again at the realization that she'd been sleeping with a bloody werewolf. If it had ever been a full moon, she would have been in serious trouble. Looking up at the moon now, she saw it was a few days shy of being full. Okay, _now_ she was in trouble. Apparently they could transform at will.

Again, Jeanne thought back to the two wolves in the alley. They'd been gorgeous but lethal at the same time. And somehow, the doctor knew the other one had been a she-wolf. Terrified as she was, Jeanne couldn't help admiring what they had, what they were. She still didn't want to see Tony, though. If he turned on her . . .

She wished she were home.

-oOo-

"So, Ziva, what do you want to do now?" asked Tony as they walked along the dark street. They had passed the alley and were nearing the cross-street.

Ziva started to reply, but ended up tasting the air as a tailwind sprung up, carrying with it the scent of death and Chris Nixon's own particular smell—wood, dust, and soap. Mostly soap. She halted and whispered harshly, "Tony, you were right. Chris _is_ following us."

"Please tell me you're— Hang on, I think I've seen this movie."

"You're kidding me."

"No, I'm not. Haven't you ever seen _Teen Wolf_?"

"The movie or the TV series?"

"The movie. Wait a sec—they made it into a TV series?"

"Sure. Haven't you seen the previews while watching _Magnum P.I._?"

"Come to think of it—"

"Why are we even having this conversation? Shouldn't we be concentrating on the guy tailing us?"

"You're right. Time to loose the goose."

"What?" Ziva asked, confusion written all over her face.

"It's an idiom," Tony explained. "Lose the tail."

"I'm all for that." Spotting a side street to her left, Ziva added, "Follow me."

They swung onto the side street, which branched off onto other backstreets. Ziva tugged on Tony's arm as she dove into a street on the right, then took another turn to the left. Unfortunately, it was a dead end.

The footsteps sounded closer, then stopped, as if Nixon wasn't sure which way to go. Ziva backed up until she felt her back up against something—and it wasn't a wall. The two Shifters waited with baited breath, letting it out when they heard the footsteps recede, as if Chris was walking away.

"You enjoying yourself, Zee-vah?" Tony teased. She jumped; she hadn't realized that she was too close to him and her hands had reached back so she was holding him in place. The Israeli quickly snatched her hands away. Ignoring Tony's smirk, she rubbed her hands on her jeans, then ran a hand through her hair. "Let's get out of here. And for the record, Tony, I was _not._"

"Right," he said wryly before following his possible—okay, probable—mate.

Luckily, Chris was nowhere to be seen, but his scent lingered in the air. It stayed that way as both walked to their cars. Before Tony could climb in and drive off, Ziva said, "Tony, I think Chris found the bodies. I picked up their scent and it mingled with his. If he finds out what we are . . ."

"You think he killed our dead coke dealer-slash-murderer-slash-victim?"

"Well, Ducky did tell Gibbs she probably knew her killer and he _has_ been following us. I think he was watching us the day we interviewed him."

"This is just great," DiNozzo said sarcastically. "We're working a case on a murdered drug dealer—who the killer thought was a Sifter—while I'm also on an undercover assignment that looks blown, and, oh yeah, the guy our victim last had contact with is probably after us, seeing as he's guessed our secret! Did I miss anything?"

"No, that pretty much sums it up," said Ziva. "Let's talk about this tomorrow, Tony. Oh, try to talk to Jeanne while you're at it—just wait a while. That way this will seem like a bad dream."

He saluted her sarcastically before driving away in his Mustang. Ziva watched him until she could no longer see the red taillights, then drove home for some much-needed sleep.

-oOo-

Hours later, she was back at headquarters instead of taking the day off—like yesterday. Abby was waiting for Ziva at her desk, holding a Caf-Pow and Berry Mango Madness in each hand. The forensic scientist handed Ziva the Berry Mango Madness and took a drag on her Caf-Pow. "I found something," she said, setting the Caf-Pow down. "It's amazing how much stuff about werewolves there is on the Internet."

"Could you please not use the term 'werewolf'?" Ziva requested, wincing slightly. "I've heard they prefer the term shape-shifter. If you want to be all technical, call them lycanthropes."

"You seem to really take it personally."

"I read." Ziva shrugged as if she wasn't bothered. "You were saying, Abby?"

"Oh, right. Anyway, seeing as the bullet that killed Phoebe was almost pure silver—and I'm guessing the knife was, too—and silver is used to kill werewo—er, sorry—_lycanthropes_, our killer—and I think I know who it is, by the way—probably thought she was one. Although, she said she saw shape-shifters, so—"

"Abby, our dead coke dealer was not a Shifter. Besides, lycanthropes don't exist." It was the mantra Shifters were sworn to repeat. How else could they keep their existence a secret? "You said you found something?"

"Yep. We are finally able to read the emails on the petty officer's computer and I traced the knife wound in her throat. What are you going to be for Halloween, Ziva?"

"That's easy. A ninja," Tony said as he walked into the bullpen, McGee at his heels. "Me, I'm going as—"

"Yourself?" Gibbs suggested, turning the corner with his usual cup of a Marine's lifesaver in hand. "You're scary enough as it is."

DiNozzo shot death glares at McGee and Officer David as they covered their mouths with their hands, trying hard not to laugh. A warning growl rumbled in his throat, but only Ziva recognized it for what it was. To the others, it sounded like Tony was clearing his throat. He shut up when Abby, Gibbs, and McGemcity gave him odd looks, Gibbs and Abby's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Finally Gibbs barked out, "Back to work!"

"Yes, Boss," the team chorused, scampering to their desks. Abby skipped off to her lab, humming "Suffer the Little Children" under her breath. She then switched to another Pat Benatar song, "Hell Is For Children," the team shooting her looks that asked if she was still sane.

-oOo-

Dr. Jeanne Bentoit reached for the phone, then snatched her hand back. She knew she had to call Tony to see if last night had been a bad dream, but she couldn't quite bring herself to. There was no way it had actually happened . . . right? She hoped not, but the terror and revulsion had been so real . . .

Of course, she didn't believe in werewolves. They were just make-believe, right?

There was only one way to find out, she told herself with a shrug. Jeanne reached for the phone again, but was interrupted by a "Paging Dr. Bentoit. Dr. Bentoit to the lobby, please."

Well, it could always wait, she supposed.

-oOo-

Team Gibbs was once again assembled in Labby, listening to Abby prattling on while Whitesnake's "Still of the Night" was playing. Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva looked mildly interested, the latter two fighting to stay awake.

". . . I was able to find out what type of knife and gun were used to kill our dead drug dealer. The knife is a Bowie, and I matched the murder weapon to a Glock. You find me one, and I can tell you if it was the murder weapon.

"That's good work, Abbs," Gibbs congratulated her as he handed the Goth a Caf-Pow. He then started to leave, along with the rest of the team, but Abby shut the door before they could take three steps. Puzzled, the four field agents looked back at the forensic scientist. Abby had her I-won't-take-no-for-an-answer face on, and Ziva had a sinking feeling she knew what it was about: Someone must have seen them shifting. A moment later, she told herself that was impossible; she hadn't smelled or heard anyone that shouldn't have been there. She could feel Tony's green eyes boring into her; without her knowing it her hand grasped for his.

"Metro PD found a couple of bodies in an alleyway at zero-five-hundred this morning. It was weird, guys. To the officer, it looked like they were attacked by either a dog or a wolf. Of course, they pulled footage from some stores and restaurants nearby and found this"—she tapped some keys on the keyboard and brought up said footage—"which I found interesting. Look familiar?"

Ziva tightened her hold on Tony's hand without realizing it. The images weren't very clear, since it was dark and across the street as well as at a bad angle, but she could make out the shadowy forms that were her and her partner. She thought frantically, _Please don't see us shift, please don't see us shift._

Thank God, the camera didn't pick up on them shifting, since Abby had stilled the image and was working her magic. Ziva slowly started backing away, taking Tony with her. She thought at him, _If we have to tell someone, we should tell Gibbs. He has a right to know and he won't tell._

_Agreed,_ he replied, squeezing her hand even tighter, which made the Mossad liaison look down at their interlocked fingers. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she made no move to let go.

McGee leaned closer to the screen, eyes narrowed in concentration. Finally he blinked and said in surprise, "Isn't that Tony and Ziva?"

"Yeah, I think so," Abby confirmed. "That's also what Metro thought, which is why they sent it to me."

Gibbs fixed his agents with an icy glare. With steel in his voice, he ordered, "My office. _Now_."

As they walked to the elevator with their boss at their heels, Ziva could feel the former Marine's gaze fixed on her and Tony's joined hands. Her skin grew warm, and she had to let go, struggling not to feel any sense of loss. It was ridiculous; he was right next to her.

The doors closed behind the trio. As soon as it started to move, Gibbs flipped the switch and brought it to a grinding halt. Ziva forced her nerves to calm down as her boss gave bother her and DiNozzo a slow once-over. Finally, he snapped, "Would you two care to explain why you were at the crime scene minutes before the attacks?"

They remained silent.

Gibbs sighed and changed tactics. "Did you see anything, like, a couple of wolves, for instance?"

Ziva exchanged a glance with Tony. He nodded slightly, indicating that she should go first. She took a deep breath and plunged in. "Gibbs, you know Rule Number Four."

"Yeah," Gibbs said warily. "If you have a secret, the best thing is to keep it to yourself. Second best is to tell one other person. There is no third best. You're saying you have a secret?"

"Yes." Again, Ziva decided to take the plunge. She shifted her weight uncomfortable before adding, "We're not exactly human, Tony and I."

Whatever Gibbs had been expecting, that clearly wasn't it. Shock flared in his eyes and he flinched back. Ziva had to admire him even further when his voice didn't shake as he asked, "What are you, exactly?"

It was Tony who replied. "The technical term is lycanthrope, but we refer to ourselves as Shifters. People who don't know any better call us werewolves."

"So you guys were bitten at some point in your lives?"

Tony grinned. "No. It's dumb when they do that in movies. It is genetic. And before you ask, yes, that was us."

Ziva couldn't help thinking that their boss was taking all of this very well. The initial shock must have worn off. She just hoped he didn't have any silver on him.

Gibbs was silent for a few seconds before he said, "You're saying the two of you attacked and killed a couple of innocents."

"It wasn't like that," Ziva protested. "There were three of them and they were mugging a friend of Tony's. We had to shift to save her life!"

Her anger flared when Gibbs had a disbelieving look on his face. She let out a menacing snarl no human could hope to emanate, causing her boss to back up. It took a lot to frighten Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but right now fear shone in his ice-blue eyes. Still snarling, she took a step forward. Tony immediately slid between them and placed his hands on her shoulders. She relaxed as his familiar, comforting scent wreathed around her. If his hands that were currently resting on her shoulders brought her even closer and tilted her head up, their lips would meet and . . . What was she doing thinking of getting intimate with Tony in front of their team leader?

"Are you okay, Ziva?" DiNozzo asked, his green-gaze cautious yet concerned at the same time.

She nodded, her eyes still on his lips. Ziva quickly averted her gaze as Tony turned back to Gibbs. Her partner said in a low voice, "We'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this. According to our laws, we're not supposed to be telling any non-Shifter that our kind exists."

The former Marine nodded. "I understand. Now, back to the Madison case." He brought the power back on and opened the elevator doors.

"Yeah, about that," Tony began as he fell in behind the silver-haired fox, "we think we have a suspect. Thing is, he's our only suspect."

"Well, go pick him up, DiNozzo, and take David with you. McGee, with me."

Tim scrambled after his team leader, leaving Abby with all sorts of hits from the '70s, '80s, and '90s. As all four field agents entered the elevator, they could hear the strains of Pat Benatar's "Too Long A Soldier."

-oOo-

A little over an hour later, the two Shifters were once again at Chris Nixon's house. He opened the door when they knocked, fighting a yawn. "You two again," he said with a smirk. "You really must not have any suspects." Even though he sounded insolent, Ziva could tell he was wary of them. Tension was radiating off him in waves. She could also smell something else . . . an underlying tang . . . excitement, that was it.

"Well, actually," said Tony, "we were just wondering if you'd let us look around."

Chris hesitated before standing back and opening the door further, inviting the two Shifters in. They stepped inside, eyes searching for a possible murder weapon. While Ziva searched the kitchen (also known as the most dangerous room in the house), Tony asked Chris, "Do you have any guns?"

"Yeah. In my desk drawer. Why?"

But Tony was already heading towards the desk in the corner of the living room. His sensitive nose picked up the smell of a recently fired gun in the upper left drawer. Sliding it open, DiNozzo found a Glock nestled near the back. He looked up at Chris just as Ziva came in with a rusted Bowie knife in an evidence bag. "Is this registered?" he asked absentmindedly, sliding on latex gloves and picking up the Glock.

"Yeah," he repeated warily.

"We're going to bring you with us for questioning," said Ziva, subconsciously herding him toward the front door. Tony was doing the same until Chris was cornered, his back against the door.

He didn't seem to realize the danger he was in, because he leaned back, crossed his arms over his chest and said, "First, let me ask you something. Are you the werewolves I've been hearing about?"

* * *

Chapter Eight

Both Ziva and Tony tensed and froze. Tony found he was eyeing the guy's Adam's apple and quickly averted his eyes so he was looking at their suspect head-on. The senior field agent chose his words carefully, but when he opened his mouth, Nixon chuckled and shook his head. He crowed, "You should have seen your faces! You two looked at me like I was serious."

_That's 'cause you were,_ Tony thought. He had a sneaking suspicion that the hazel-eyed blond was faking making fun of the situation. If anything, he was using their reactions to confirm what he guessed. DiNozzo had to hand it to him: the man sure could act. Tony shoved his concerns away and refocused on the task at hand. "As we said before, we're going to have to take you with us."

"Sure," Chris said with a shrug. "You know that evidence there is circumstantial, right?"

He shut up when both agents gave him withering glares. If Ziva had her knife on her, she would have pressed it up against his throat and enjoyed the fear in his eyes. As it was, she said, "Why don't you let us do our job," as she and DiNozzo ushered Chris out to the waiting Charger.

-oOo-

The team's two Shifters watched Nixon on the other side of the mirror from Observation, waiting for Gibbs to question him.

Nixon jumped as the interrogation room door opened and the silver-haired fox strode in, carrying a case file in one hand. He tossed it onto the table, following it with his body as he sat down in the chair facing their suspect. Chris fidgeted as the former Marine opened the file and drew out some crime scene photos, as well as one of the petty officer lying on one of Ducky's cold steel tables in the morgue.

"Petty Officer Phoebe Madison. You knew her well?"

He looked startled at the question, but answered, "Well, yeah. We were good friends."

"Do you have any idea who would want her dead?"

Chris shrugged. "She dealt cocaine and told me she took out a rival encroaching on her turf. Maybe it was another dealer."

"Maybe, but I don't think so. You were the last person she had contact with right before she was killed."

"Not counting your agents," Nixon muttered under his breath.

Gibbs heard him, apparently, ignored the jab, and slid the photos in front of the twenty-one-year-old's face. Ziva noticed with some satisfaction that he flinched and averted his gaze.

Tony whispered, "Bet you ten bucks he's gonna lawyer up."

"Five more says he's gonna do it in five seconds."

"I want my lawyer," Chris said five seconds later.

Tony sighed and handed the fifteen dollars over to a smirking Ziva as Gibbs told the man sitting across from him, "You have something to hide?"

When Nixon stared mutely ahead, Gibbs went on, "In my experience, innocent people don't need a lawyer. But if you want one"—he shrugged—"go ahead. I'm not stopping you. Besides, we're not interrogating you."

"Yeah, right," Ziva muttered as Tony snorted and said, "Since when is Gibbs doing the good cop, bad cop routine?"

"Oh, I guess that makes you the bad cop?" Ziva asked, hating herself when she felt her beast suddenly calling to his. She wanted to shift into her other form so bad, but knew she couldn't do it her in Observation or even in the building. The same went for making out. Geez, where were these thoughts coming from? And it wasn't even lunchtime yet!

The Israeli became aware of a beeping noise coming from Tony's cell, informing him that he had a new text message. He flipped it open to read it, and with her keen vision, Ziva was able to do the same over his shoulder. It read: _Need 2 C U. Jeanne_. Immediately Tony snapped his phone shut. Ziva was pretty sure she knew what all that was about last night. Jeanne wanted confirmation that Tony couldn't become a wolf at will—or that he could.

Last night, before he'd shifted with a smooth, powerful ripple into a wolf, Ziva had noticed an ink on his left shoulder. According to tradition, when a Shifter male found his mate, he had her name inked onto his shoulder in the ancient language of the pack. If she rejected him, he still had to bear the name of his first choice and go it alone. For some reason, Ziva hoped _she_ was his choice instead of Jeanne.

The door to observation opened, and both Abby and Tim stuck their heads in. Abby asked, "Where is Gibbs?"

"In Interrogation," Tony replied. "Why?"

"We ran ballistics and the fingerprints on the Glock and knife you guys brought in. They were the murder weapons, but the prints didn't match Nixon. Someone else killed our drug dealer."

"There's more," McGee added. "We received a call from the Rangers at RockCreekPark. They found another body."

Ziva said, "Yeah. So?"

"So," McGee said, "the MO was the same as the one for Petty Officer Madison. And it's fresh."

The two Shifters exchanged a glance before Tony said both their thoughts out loud, "He didn't do it."

"You wanna be the one who tells Gibbs?" Ziva asked him. "'Cause I'm not."

All three of them looked at McGee, who paled. "No! I am not—"

"Sorry, but I'm pulling rank," Tony said, "and the girls here don't want to risk the wrath of Gibbs." Even though Ziva in wolf form could easily rip out his throat—and neither of them wanted that to happen.

Sensing resistance was futile, Tim sighed and hung his head in defeat before heading out. Seconds later, the interrogation room door opened and Elf Lord's head poked inside. He told Gibbs that they needed to tell him something and the ex-Marine, looking irritable, followed McGee back into Observation.

"This better be good," he growled. "You're breaking Rule Twenty-Two."

Ziva mentally translated that into "Never, ever interrupt Gibbs in Interrogation."

Tony apologized, "Look, we're sorry, but Abby and McGee found something important."

"Gibbs, he didn't kill our petty officer," said Abby. "RockCreekPark Rangers just found a fresh body. The MO matched, and the fingerprints on the knife and Glock don't match Chris."

Gibbs nodded and started walking out. "I knew that," he called over his shoulder before leaving.

The other four spoke in unison: "Oh."

* * *

Chapter Nine

After Gibbs cut Nixon loose, the team was on the road again, Ducky and Palmer on their six. As Gibbs sped along the road, both Shifters noticed McGee was trying not to puke. Finally, Gibbs noticed and pulled over, immediately sending the car to a skidding halt.

The probie leaped out and hurried into nearby bushes, where Tony and Ziva could hear him spewing chunks. A minute later, they were on their way, a pale-faced McGee in back.

When they arrived at the entrance to the park some time later, Elf Lord hit the ground as if he never planned to let go. He instantly scrambled to his feet as a park ranger came over.

"I'm Tom Henderson. Which one of you is Special Agent Gibbs?"

If this was a wolf pack, Tony thought with an amused snort, he, Ziva, and McGee would be well behind Gibbs with ears and tail lowered while Gibbs would be standing in a dominant posture: ears forward, head up, tail lifted. Although two of them could become wolves in shape, there were differences from Shifters and the true wolf. For one thing, they were larger than normal wolves.

The ranger's head swung in his direction. "Are you Gibbs?"

"Oh, no," Tony said. "I'm Special Agent DiNozzo. _That _is Agent Gibbs." He pointed to his boss, who didn't look too thrilled at being singled out. However, as typical of the Bossman, what he said was, "Where's the body?"

Henderson sighed and said, "Follow me." He headed into the woods with Team Gibbs and Ducky and his assistant—who had just arrived due to Palmer mixing up directions _again_—hot on his trail. Tony began to have a bad feeling about this case as they hiked through the woods.

As it turned out, he was right.

_I hate Halloween._

-oOo-

The victim, as it turned out, was a former Marine. DiNozzo stepped closer to the body, which was on the floor of an abandoned cabin, and caught a whiff of a familiar scent. This particular scent belonged to a Shifter, and one the team had dealt with on an irregular basis: Trent Kort. Tony could also smell another Shifter, but the scents were a few hours old. He glanced at Ziva and asked quietly, "Do you smell that?"

He could see her nostrils flare as she scented the air. "Yes," she replied, "I do."

"Do what?" Gibbs and McGee asked, looking at the two Shifters. Ducky also looked up from where he was examining the body. Palmer, being Palmer, continued looking over the corpse, completely ignoring everyone else.

Thinking fast, Tony ad-libbed, "Uh, well, we think there was someone—two someones—here—and they weren't the killer."

"How can you tell?" McGee asked.

Wincing, Ziva offered, "The smells in the air?"

Tim sniffed, and then gagged. "All I smell is that dead body."

Gibbs gave Tony and Ziva a long, measured look before grabbing them by the arm and pulling them aside, out of the others' earshot. Releasing his two Shifters, he growled, "Is there something you're not telling me about your abilities?"

Ziva's look told Tony to speak now or forever hold his peace. "Well, all our senses are heightened, and we have fast reflexes and loads of stamina." He shifted his weight before adding, "Say we were attacked. In human form, we'd just think about beating the guy up, but in wolf form, we'd probably rip out their throats. Ziva would do that in human form anyway."

She glared at him and when Tony next spoke, his voice was several octaves higher. "Ow." Gibbs winced visibly, knowing full well the damage Ziva—or anyone—could cause, kicking someone in that sensitive spot.

"Hey, Boss," McGee called, "we've got something."

The awkward moment was thankfully ruined, and the three of them returned to the crime scene, where McGee was crouched over. He straightened up and showed them a tuft of black fur. "How'd this get in here?"

Tony shot a warning look at Ziva, whose returning glare told him that she wasn't dumb enough to tell McGeek their secret. With a shrug, he lied, "Maybe it was someone's dog or a rat."

Tim looked doubtful, but bagged it anyway, missing the death glare Gibbs shot his senior field agent and Mossad liaison.

"Uh, can I go now?" Henderson asked, making the team's two geeks jump with surprise.

Gibbs jerked his thumb in the ranger's direction. "You know you're free to go. Out. Now." A few seconds later, he asked, "Duck, you have a time of death yet?"

Ducky extracted the liver probe, checked it, and said, "He's been dead for at least two and a half hours, Jethro."

DiNozzo started to turn and ask Probie something when a flash of black and auburn fur outside one of the windows caught his eye. He motioned to Ziva and stepped out of the cabin, his partner on his trail.

A few feet away, Trent Kort himself stepped out of the trees in human form and fully clothed. Beside him was a young woman who looked to be around twenty-nine with reddish-brown hair and hazel-green eyes. And from what Tony could tell from her scent, she was the other Shifter he'd smelled earlier.

Ziva strode forward until she was up in Kort's face. "What are you doing here?" she growled. "This is _our _territory."

"And who's your friend?" The words slipped out of Tony's mouth before he could stop them.

The woman narrowed her eyes at DiNozzo. "Meghan Volkov, CIA. And you're, let me guess, NCIS Special Agent DiNozzo." There was Russia in her voice.

"How'd you guess?"

"Well, the fact that you're wearing a NCIS cap and jacket and Kort here has your name and face burned into my memory probably had something to do with it."

Kort silenced her with a look—which, if anyone else had tried it, probably wouldn't have worked—and answered Ziva's question. "We had intel that a few humans have . . . become aware of our existence after—"

Meghan rolled her eyes. "Oh, honestly, he's hopeless. Basically, a Shifter who refuses to be named told a Static that we exist. We're trying to find him and hopefully kill him."

"Funny you should say that," DiNozzo snorted. "We've had two Statics murdered, who the killer thought were Shifters. Anyone else confused? Although, this does remind me of _The Wolfman_—"

He shut up when Ziva Gibbs-slapped him. DiNozzo rounded on her, fully ready to deliver a stinging remark, but paused when he saw something in her eyes urging him not to say anything.

"Hey, you two!"

At the sound of Gibbs' voice, Kort and Volkov faded into the trees. Tony turned and saw the Bossman standing in the cabin doorway, an expectant look on his face. "You planning on staying here for the rest of the day, or do you want to go back with us?"

Glancing back through the trees, Tony saw two wolves—one black with white paws, the other a reddish-brown—trotting away. He shrugged and walked toward Gibbs, who ducked back inside. Right as they reached the doorway, McGee, Ducky, Palmer, and Company headed out. Sharing a slightly amused look with Ziva, Tony followed.

It didn't occur to him until they were well on their way back to the Navy Yard that neither him nor Ziva had asked the two CIA Shifters if they'd seen anything that could help them with the case.

* * *

Chapter Ten

Back at the office, the team was once again at their desks. Abby was analyzing the tuft of fur that McGee had found, even though Tony knew it would be a match to Kort in his wolf form. Besides, there didn't seem to be a whole lot to do on the Madison case . . . and he _did _have to see Jeanne. . . .

He stood up and grabbed his jacket. "Cover for me, will you, Ziva?" Luckily, Gibbs was refilling his coffee cup and McGee had just left to take a leak—or so Tony assumed.

"Uh, sure," she replied. By then, Tony was on his way out of the building via the elevator. At least a half hour later, he was knocking on the door of Jeanne's apartment and back in the game as his cover.

Jeanne's face peered warily at him from the slightly-opened door. "Yes?"

"You did want to see me, did you not? Jeanne, what's wrong?"

Sighing, she opened the door further and stepped back, inviting him in. It didn't take long before she asked what had been on her mind all day: "Tony, was any of what happened last night real?"

_Wow. That was rather blunt and to the point. Now, how do answer . . . _"Uh, well," he started, but was interrupted by Jeanne's relieved look. "So it _wasn't _real?"

"Uh, actually, I hate to burst your bubble, but . . ."

Her green eyes widened in horror. "Oh, God. You really can turn into a wolf." She rapidly moved away from him.

"Jeanne, I had to shift to save your life!"

It didn't appear that she was comprehending what he was saying. Clearly, the PTSD was kicking in—that, or she just couldn't believe it.

"That other one was a she-wolf, wasn't it?"

Tony was surprised by the question. He met her gaze and instead ended up looking past her at the dark windows. Startled, he looked at his watch and saw it was seven o'clock at night. Had he really spent all afternoon at his desk? It sure didn't feel like it. Then again, everything about this case had him on edge.

"Tony." Jeanne's voice was sharp. "Answer me!"

DiNozzo forced his mouth to move. "Yes, she was. Why do you want to know?"

She refused to answer. When she finally spoke, her voice was low. "Get out, Tony." Before he could even protest, she was ushering him out of her apartment. The door slammed shut in his face when he turned back to look at her, gauge how she was taking this. Not well, obviously.

When Tony made it back on the streets, a figure was leaning against his car. Its features were distorted since it was hidden in shadows. However, this person's scent and his night vision made it easy for him to identify it.

"What are you doing here, Ziva?"

His partner relaxed her position and took a few steps closer to him. "I was looking for you. It actually makes sense, what Kort and Meghan said, and I figured it wasn't safe to travel alone at night."

"Ziva, how did you get here?"

"I ran."

He knew without asking that she'd shifted to do it. "Are you crazy?! What if someone saw you?"

"No one did." She shrugged. "Besides, you know how poor Statics' night vision is. You hungry?"

"Not particularly."

Ziva went around to the driver's side door and opened it. "Come on, then. I'm driving you home."

"Correction," Tony said as he slid inside his Mustang, "_I_ am driving _you _home. Besides, I don't want you wrecking my 'Stang."

She rolled her eyes and went around to the shotgun seat. Before her door was even shut all the way, Tony's Mustang had pulled out of its parking spot and was on the road. The Mossad liaison shut it, buckled up, and glared at him. "Don't _ever _do that again."

"Of course not," the movie buff replied with a smirk.

-oOo-

From the dark shadows of an alley, two figures watched the two NCIS Shifters. One looked at the other and ordered, "Follow them, but stay out of sight."

His companion nodded and took off on a motorbike, grumbling, "How often have we gone over this?"

Once the taillight was a small red dot in the distance, the boss melted into the shadows, watching, waiting . . .

-oOo-

After ten minutes of silence, Ziva suddenly switched on the radio. Tony had left it on the classic rock station, and the opening notes of a Whitesnake hit filled the Mustang.

_Oh no_, Tony thought, mentally cringing.

_In the still of the night_  
_I hear the wolf howl, honey_  
_Sniffing around your door_  
_In the still of the night_  
_I feel my heart beating heavy_  
_Telling me I gotta have more_

_In the shadow of the night_  
_I see the full moon rise_  
_Telling me what's in store_  
_My heart starts aching_  
_My body started shaking_  
_And I can't take no more_

_No, no_

_Now I just wanna get close to you_  
_And taste your love so sweet_  
_And I just wanna make love to you_  
_Feel your body heat_

_In the still of the night_  
_In the still of the night_  
_Over here baby_

DiNozzo was uncomfortably aware of Ziva's brown gaze boring into him. She warned, "Don't even think about it, Tony."

But how could he not? After all, it wasn't Jeanne's name inked in ancient letters on his back.

Not that Ziva knew.

_In the heat of the day_  
_I hang my head down low_  
_And hide my face from the sun_  
_Through the light of the day_  
_Until the evening time_  
_I'm waiting for the night to come_

_Ooh baby_

_In the still of the night_  
_In the cool moonlight_  
_I feel my heart is aching_  
_In the still of the night_

"Abby was playing this song earlier, was she not?" Ziva asked suddenly.

"Yeah, but come on, it's not like the radio station knew that." Tony suddenly became aware of a single headlight in the rearview mirror that had been there for a few minutes. "Hang on, Zi. We're being followed."

He instantly swung left onto a side street. The motorbike followed. Tony finally lost it after a few more turns and shooting back out onto the main street. All the while, "Still of the Night" kept playing. It wasn't as if the radio station knew they were being tailed, after all.

_Ooh, baby_  
_Ooh, Lord_  
_I can't keep away_  
_Need to be closer_

_I can't keep away_  
_Can't keep away_  
_Can't keep away_  
_I can't keep away, no_

_You gotta give me love_  
_Got to give me some loving everyday_  
_Can't keep away_

_Ooh, baby_  
_Ooh, Lord_  
_Ahh_

_Tell me here, baby_

Without warning, pain erupted on his right shoulder. "What was that for?" he hissed, turning to Ziva. The Mossad liaison was glaring at him. "Get your mind out of the gutter, DiNozzo!" she growled.

"Will you quit reading my mind?" Tony made a mental note to dampen his thoughts whenever his partner was around. There was no telling _what _she'd do if she knew everything that went on in his head.

_In the still of the night_  
_I hear the wolf howl, honey_  
_Sniffing around your door_  
_In the still of the night_  
_I feel my heart beating heavy_  
_Telling me I gotta have more_

_Ooh! Mama_

_Now I just wanna get close to you_  
_And taste your love so sweet_  
_And I just wanna make love to you_  
_Feel your body heat_

_In the still of the night_  
_Oh, yeah_  
_In the still of the night_  
_I will be sneaking 'round your door_

He could tell Ziva was growing nervous . . . of him, maybe? That was crazy; he wouldn't intentionally do anything to hut her! Besides, she would definitely have him down on the floor, bleeding, in three seconds flat, in either this form or her wolf one.

It wasn't like he wanted to do what the song said anyway . . . right?

_In the still of the night_  
_In the still of the night_  
_Ain't nothing gonna stop me now_

_Still of the night_  
_Still of the night_  
_Still of the night_

_Still of the night_  
_Still of the night_  
_Still of the night_

_Still of the night_  
_Still of the night_  
_Still of the night_

Another song came on after that—something by Van Halen—but Tony wasn't really paying attention. He was much more focused on Ziva: her scent, the Israeli accent that became more pronounced whenever she was upset about something, her underneath him on their undercover mission last year . . . okay, now he was stepping into forbidden territory. She would kill him is she found out how he secretly felt about her . . . unless she felt the same way . . .?

"Tony, you can pull up here. We're at my apartment building," Ziva said, bringing him back.

The senior field agent stopped the Mustang, watching his partner as she climbed out. "You want me to walk you in?" he asked before he lost his nerve.

A startled look flashed briefly across her face before she replied with a slight smile, "Sure. I'd like that, I guess."

As they walked up the steps, neither of them were aware of the black-clad person hiding in the deep shadows, snapping photos, one after the other. When Tony drove off in his Mustang, the man snapped a photo of the license plate before fading away. His employer and friend was going to be pleased, he thought as he drove off.

What he failed to notice were CIA Agents Trent Kort and Meghan Volkov, who were in human form at the moment and watching him from an unmarked car. They silently followed the man as he drove through the dark streets on the same bike that had been tailing their NCIS counterparts.

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Ziva tossed and turned in her bed for what seemed like hours, trying to go to sleep. It wouldn't come, and besides, there was something nagging at the back of her mind, something important . . . The frustrating thing was that she couldn't figure it out, and the more she tried, the more it slipped out of reach, like tantalizing scraps of information that were deliberately being withheld. It was irritating, to say the least.

Finally Ziva gave up trying to sleep and padded into the living room on silent feet to grab her laptop. Sliding back under the covers, she fired up the Mac and, opening a new Word document, started typing up her notes and observations on the Phoebe Madison case. Ziva had almost finished the notes on Chris Nixon when it occurred to her that they hadn't run a background check on him yet. Then there was the call, what he'd said to her and Tony—"So, are you the werewolves I've been hearing about?"—and what Trent Kort and the Russian Shifter, Meghan Volkov, had told her and her partner: that a Shifter had revealed their existence to Statics. From the beginning, Ziva and Tony had suspected the killer thought their victims—the petty officer and now this former Marine—were Shifters. Why else the silver weapons unless he'd known of their existence. Ducky had also said Phoebe Madison had a tattoo that meant "werewolf" in French—_loup-garou_. The Israeli was willing to bet their latest vic had the same tat on his arm. She hurriedly typed her train of thought as it popped into her head, saved the document, and shut down the Mac. Sleep came at last, and she gratefully sank beneath the black wave.

-oOo-

The next morning, Monday, Ziva headed into work after her daily run. It was October 31st—Halloween—and she realized that she didn't have anything to wear for that night—unless there was yet another case, of course. Although, when you could transform into a wolf, there wasn't really any need to dress up.

She suddenly tensed, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling, telling her she was being watched. Ziva turned—and found herself face-to-face with DiNozzo, McGee on his tail. Both men started and stepped back, Tim biting back a curse when Tony accidentally stepped on his foot. Tony immediately apologized, calling the probie McKlutz in the process. Timothy glared at him anyway and sat down at his desk.

When Tony sat down, propping his feet up on his desk and lacing his fingers behind his head, Ziva ambled over, looking down at him. "Tony, did you ever run a background check on Nixon?"

He Gibbs-slapped himself. "No. What with everything else going on, it slipped my mind. McGoogle!"

McGee's head shot up from where he was working on what Ziva figured was a book, judging from the binder and how much of the papers had McGeek's handwriting. "Tony, I am _not _doing a background check for you."

A low growl rumbled in his throat, instantly causing McGee to change tactics. "Okay, okay! I'm on it!" He started typing and clicking the mouse furiously. A very smug DiNozzo leaned back again, smirking. It vanished when he took in Ziva's concerned look. "What?"

She leaned in close, her concern giving way to anger. "Idiot! What if everyone else found out what we are? How do you think they'd react if they knew we'd lied to them this whole time? Like the way Jeanne did? She's scared of you now and never wants to see you!"

"Or she wants to become one of us," Tony said so softly Ziva wasn't sure she'd heard him properly. She said sharply, "Say that again."

He repeated himself, then shook his head wearily. "I don't know what made me say that, but there was this sort of look in her eyes when I saw her last night." He smiled slightly. "Our healing properties are miraculous. She saw for herself how quickly we heal, remember."

"Don't remind me." Ziva winced mentally, her body remembering all the injuries, even if her mind didn't. They saw Elf Lord's curious glance in their direction at the same time. Tony snapped, "What is it, Probie-san?"

"I have that background check for you, Tony. Where's Gibbs?"

"Right behind you, McGee," the silver-haired ex-sniper said from behind the computer geek. "Nice work, although, DiNozzo, shouldn't you have done that?" Clearly, finding out that two of his agents weren't entirely human hadn't changed how he thought of their work efforts or themselves in general. At the trapped look on her partner's face, Ziva had to hide a smirk. She snapped to attention when Gibbs prodded, "McGee, the background check."

"Oh, right." Keys tapped, and Nixon's driver's license appeared once more on the plasma along with McGee's hastily complied background check, a resume included. "He currently works as a sub at a local high school."

Tony snorted, "Why do I find that hard to believe?"

"The fact that he has a job?" McGee asked.

"No, the fact that he wanted to be a teacher," Tony said. "He wasn't all that friendly when we met him." What he didn't say, Ziva figured, was that his job put him in contact with possible Shifters, since the first transformation occurred at age seventeen for girls, age eighteen for guys. This was _not _good at all. She hoped Kort and Volkov were making progress on their end. If not . . .

Already Ziva could tell it was going to be a long Halloween.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

"So, you were saying," Gibbs prompted McGee, snapping the team's two Shifters out of their morbid thoughts.

"Oh, right. There's no criminal record—unless you count him being friends with a drug dealer—but here's something: He has ties to the arms dealer La Grenuoille."

"Thanks for the information, McGee," a soft voice laced with a British accent said from behind Ziva. The team whirled around to find themselves face-to-face with Kort and his Russian friend.

"Kort," Ziva said.

"Volkov," said Tony, dipping his head to the she-wolf.

"DiNozzo." Her hazel-green eyes were cold.

"David," the British CIA agent finished.

"Gibbs, McGee," Leroy Jethro Gibbs said. "Now that we all know each other, get out of our house."

McGee looked confused. "You know them, they know you, and they need information on one of our cases," he said to Ziva and Tony, "and everyone's okay with this? Did I miss something?"

All Tony could think of to say was, "Nice _Lion King _reference, Probie."

"Shut up, Tony."

Ziva quickly soothed, "Relax, McGee. They're working our case from another angle."

Gibbs's eyes were frosty and swiftly turning to ice. "And _no one_ mentioned this to me earlier?"

DiNozzo threw up his hands in a defensive posture. "Don't look at us like that, Boss. We just found out about it yesterday."

Meghan prompted, "About the case—"

Elf Lord scanned the background check again. "About the whole tie to The Frog, his friend is . . . uh . . . Ethan Keane. He's Nixon's old college roommate and is now apparently an ATF agent." McGee was referring to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

"No kidding," Tony and Meghan said in disbelief. The four Shifters exchanged meaningful glances—although Tony thought Ziva and Meghan were each warning the other away from her partner. "Once you two are done being all alpha-female," he muttered.

Both women glared and punched his shoulder in unison. Tony slightly whimpered, forcing it down when McGee and Gibbs stared at the four of them. "What was _that _all about?" the team leader demanded.

"Uh . . ." None of them had an answer. Gibbs just narrowed his eyes before turning back to Probie-Wan-Kenobi. "You have an image of this Ethan Keane?"

Seconds later, his ID was up on the plasma. He had black hair that curled down around his ears and ended just where his neck met his shoulders. Keane's eyes were the color of clover, and with his deep tan, they really stood out. Worse, though, Tony sensed this guy was a Shifter.

_Crap._

Quietly, Kort said, "That's him."

"You're sure?" Ziva asked, just as softly.

"Yes."

_Well, this is just great. _Aloud, DiNozzo said, "You have an address, Probie?"

"Yeah. He lives in Fairfax." McGee scribbled down the address and handed it to Ziva, while Gibbs said, "Ziva, take DiNozzo and head out there. You two"—he motioned at the two CIA agents—"with me. McGee, see what else you can dig up on Ethan Keane or Chris Nixon."

"On it, Boss," the team chorused.

Walking toward the elevator with Ziva, Tony commented, "This is going to be fun."

She laughed. "I thought you hated Halloween."

"I do."

Thankfully, she left it at that, and a little over an hour or so later they were pulling up at the alleged ATF agent's house. As luck would have it, he wasn't home. There was no telling how long he'd been or would be gone, so, of course, the obvious thing to do was a little B&E and search the place. Tony voted for the front door, while Ziva took the back.

Within seconds, Tony was inside and on his way to see how Ziva was doing. He walked into the kitchen and had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing: Ziva was attempting to crawl through the doggie door. She'd made it halfway and was now apparently stuck.

She glanced up at him and scowled. "Bite your tongue."

"I am."

Ziva wiggled around, trying to gain more entrance, and froze, every muscle tense. Tony strained his ears and heard the _click-click_ of nails on the linoleum. For the first time, he saw two bowls on the floor near the counter, half full with water and dog food. Well, dang. Where was the dog when they'd rung the doorbell? The dog padded into view just then. Now, Tony really couldn't tell one breed from another, unless it was a Chihuahua, golden retriever, Great Dane, poodle, German shepherd, or other obvious breeds. It obviously must have heard the noise and come plodding down the hallway and around the corner to see what was going on. This canine looked like it weighed about fifty pounds, was maybe 22 inches, and for all appearances looked like a wolf. Its medium-length fur was red along the back and sides and white on the legs, paws, face, and underbelly, with one blue eye, one brown. Why couldn't it have barked a warning when it first heard the bell? As it was, it skidded to a halt. Tony could almost see the question mark appearing above it as it cocked its head, a perfect mixture of incredulity and confusion on its face. This gave Tony and Ziva opportunity to determine its gender (it was a girl, as it turned out). Apparently, in her experience, very few humans had attempted to slither through her personal entrance. Ziva and Tony weren't exactly human, but it didn't really matter at the moment, especially since the dog was now crawling on her belly to Ziva. Obviously, this required something in the way of nice manners on the dog's part. She was whining softly, making no move to bite either of them, and currently almost in the Mossad officer's face. DiNozzo figured the no-attacking bit was because that, as Shifters, they smelled like wild animals. Ziva and the dog lay there face-to-face for a while, the Shifter propping herself up on her elbows.

"Well, hi," she said at last, obviously talking to what Tony finally identified as a Siberian Husky. Hopefully, from the canine's perspective, it was a pleasant and friendly tone of voice.

The husky laid her head on her paws and shot Tony a worried look. He was still trying not to laugh. What? The whole situation was ridiculous!

"Sorry to barge in on you like this," Ziva was saying to the dog, "but I have to get all the way in."

"Otherwise the neighbors will see your hind end sticking out of a doggie door," Tony put in, his voice full of suppressed laughter.

"Shut up, DiNozzo." Ziva then wiggled her way in further, making all sorts of kiss-up phrases to the dog. When she was all the way through, she started to rise to her feet. This didn't bode well with the Sibe. She drew her lips back to show her teeth and growled. Ziva dropped to all fours again, then slowly tried rising. Again the dog growled. Tony heard her tell the Siberian, "You're very strict, you know that?" Not that the dog cared.

Finally, both Shifters had had enough. Ziva managed to stand up while Toy took care of the dog. While he was putting her in the bathroom, the Siberian wagged her tail and tried to jump up and give him the canine version of kisses. In response, he literally growled at her, shut the door, and went to help Ziva search.

There was nothing of value in the kitchen, so Tony decided to take the den while Ziva searched the living room. A quick visual scan revealed nothing, and it wasn't likely what they were looking for would be in plain sight. That would just be too easy. God forbid their job ever be easy.

Tony crossed the room to the desk, snapped on latex gloves, and started rifling through the drawers, hoping to find some connection to Nixon or something that showed they'd been in contact recently. He hit pay dirt when he opened the bottom left drawer. Inside were a bunch of printed emails between the two. DiNozzo lifted the stack of papers out and set it on top of the desk. A brief in-depth search revealed nothing else, so he headed into the living room to check on Ziva.

"You find anything?"

"No, not yet," she said from where she was crouched along the window wall, running her fingers along it. That turned up fruitless, so she moved on to the corner bookcase. Tony watched from the doorway as she skimmed her hands along the spines. Finally she pulled out a slim volume with a black leather cover and silver lettering. She had just opened it to the first page when DiNozzo heard the crunch of car tires on gravel and the engine stalling.

Ziva snapped the book shut, slid it into place on the shelf, and hurried to the doorway. Together they bolted for the garage door, but skidded to a halt when the doorknob started to turn. They were trapped.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Before Tony could so much as think _We're so dead_, Ziva grabbed his arm and yanked him back away from the door. Numbly, he followed her to the bathroom where they'd stashed the dog. Ziva opened the door and let the Siberian out before pulling Tony in with her. The door clicked shut behind them.

Tony's sharp hearing was focused on the Sibe as it pranced around, letting her master know there was game afoot. This wasn't good.

"Help me, Tony," Ziva hissed from the bathroom window. She was having trouble opening it, seeing as it was dusty and hadn't been used a whole lot. Still, DiNozzo went over to help her. Together they forced the window open and Ziva went through first, landing lightly on the lawn outside. Tony handed her the stack of emails before climbing out himself. Once his feet hit the ground, he took of racing for the Charger. Ziva was right behind him. As they hopped in the car, Tony allowed himself a breath of relief. "That was a close one."

"If he's a Shifter, he's going to know we were there," Ziva said.

_Thanks, Ms. Killjoy_, Tony thought sarcastically.

"I heard that."

He chose not to dignify that with a response and pulled out of his parking spot. They made the drive in silence except for Focus's "Hocus Pocus" and then the Eagles' "Hotel California."

-oOo-

Meanwhile, Gibbs was staring down the two CIA Shifters. Neither of them was backing down (a fact Meghan was proud of), but Kort was fidgeting a bit. Finally the NCIS Special Agent asked, "Well?"

"Uh, I'll leave you to answer that," Kort said to Meghan. "I'm going to . . . um . . . go get a biscuit." He took off, leaving Meghan with the infamous Gibbs.

He looked at her blankly. "Biscuit?"

"A British word for cookie," she explained.

"Is he always like this?"

Volkov knew he was referring to Kort and inwardly bristled. She hated it when people bad-mouthed her mate. Gibbs was still waiting for an answer, so she shrugged and said, "Yeah, pretty much. But then, you've dealt with him before, haven't you?"

"On an irregular basis, and they haven't been the most friendly of occasions. Are the two of you like Tony and Ziva?"

She tensed, swearing inside her head. "What do you mean?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "A Shifter. Do I have to lay it out for you?"

"Yes," she admitted after a pause, "but how do you know about us?"

"Two of my agents told me."

Meghan's hazel-green eyes narrowed. "Speaking of Tony and Ziva, are they mates yet?"

Gibbs almost spewed his coffee. "Say _what_?"

She quickly backtracked. "Forget I said anything. It's just that they seem really close—closer than most partners—and I thought—"

He cut her babbling short. "They wouldn't break Rule Number Twelve."

"What's Rule Number Twelve?"

"I have a list of rules I live by. Rule Twelve is Never date a co-worker."

"Hhm-mmm." _Not that they're gonna let that stop them if they are gonna be mates_, Meghan thought. It wasn't like they could separate the wolf from the human; they weren't separate beings. If and when the wolf called . . . well, they might not be able to resist.

Kort returned from the vending machines. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing," Meghan and Gibbs said at the same time. Gibbs then started walking back to the bullpen, jerking his head to make them follow. The Russian CIA agent had a feeling he'd do well as a Shifter and would probably be a pack leader. Too bad he was a Static. She thought he'd make a handsome wolf, with a silver coat and ice-blue eyes.

"What exactly are you two doing here? You never answered my earlier question," Gibbs said at last, meeting their gazes again.

Meghan answered, "What Ziva said earlier. And no one told you because it's none of your concern, seeing as it's Shifter business." Thank God McGee was with Abby and they could talk freely.

The team leader's eyes narrowed but before he could say anything, Tony and Ziva walked in. They had an evidence box and Ziva looked like she'd been Dumpster diving or something. Her clothes were rumpled, she smelled like dog, and there were grass and dirt stains on her pant knees.

"God, what happened to you?" The words slipped out of Meghan's mouth before she could hold them back.

Ziva gave her fellow she-wolf a dark look but didn't reply. Tony answered for her. "We ran into a bit of trouble at Keane's house, but it was nothing we couldn't handle."

His partner said, "We—or Tony, rather," she added when DiNozzo gave her a look, "found a lot of printed out emails between our two suspects."

"Good," Gibbs said. "Go through 'em and see if you can find anything to help our case. I gotta go see Ducky." He was gone before Tony or Ziva could so much as say, "Yes, Boss."

Exchanging a glance with Kort, Meghan walked over to Ziva while the Brit stood by Tony's desk. "You need our help?"

In response, Ziva divided the stack into fourths and handed three-fourths of it to the other three Shifters.

After ten minutes of reading, Tony jumped up, snatched the page he'd been reading, and bolted. "Gibbs has to see this."

The others exchanged looks, wondering what he'd found.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

DiNozzo found his team leader in Autopsy, listening to one of Ducky's yarns. Or not, seeing as he could tell from Gibbs' body language that he'd tuned out. Tony handed the former Marine the print-out, pointing to a significant passage and murmured, "Boss."

Gibbs' eyes scanned it before he turned on his heel. "Thanks for the info, Duck," he said as he walked out, his senior field agent trotting after him. "Where to next, Boss?"

"Labby. Have the others meet us there."

"Including Kort and Volkov?"

His "no duh" look told Tony all he needed to know. "On it," he said, heading up to the bullpen.

Minutes later, the whole team and their CIA visitors were in Labby, Gibbs armed with a fresh Caf-Pow. The team leader asked, "You got anything for me, Abby?"

"Yep." Keys tapped and the recording of the petty officer's last phone call came up again. "Ziva, what time did you and Tony arrive at the cabin?"

"Oh-nine-twenty-five," she replied. Tony knew her well enough to detect the wariness in her tone. He had a sick feeling he knew where this was heading. It intensified when Abby fast-forwarded it to the howl. The time-stamp was 9:25, exactly when Ziva, in wolf form, and Tony entered the premises. _Crap. We're screwed._

_No, really? _came Ziva's sarcastic mental reply.

DiNozzo jumped. _Will you quit that?_

_Sorry. I'll sometimes catch a stray thought. While we're on the subject, what's the ink on your back?_

_How'd you know about that?_

_I glimpsed it that night in the alley before you shifted._

_Later, okay? Let's try not to tell Abby and McGeek. They'd just freak out._

_Okay, but I don't see how we can keep it a secret from the rest of the team for much longer. As you already said, Jeanne wants to become one of us._

Abby's voice interrupted their mental conversation. "You guys didn't see a wolf around, did you?"

"How do you know it's a wolf's howl?" Kort asked from where he was leaning against the doorframe. "It could be a dog howling, for all you know."

The Goth had a stubborn look on her face. She crossed her arms and faced the shifty CIA agent. "Maybe, but I highly doubt that. I don't know of any dog that sounds like that."

"Abby, do you want this or not?" Gibbs asked, waving the Caf-Pow tantalizingly in her face.

She turned back, her black pigtails and red-trimmed dress narrowly missing McGee. Since it was Halloween, the forensic scientist had dressed up as a vampire, complete with fake fangs. DiNozzo had to suppress a snarl; vamps and Shifters didn't mix, even if Abby was only pretending to be one. "Anyway," Abby said, "our former Marine was killed with the same gun and knife used to murder Petty Officer Madison."

"Please tell me those were the ones we lifted from Nixon's house," said Tony.

"Yeah, they were. The prints are now smudged, but I was able to lift and identify two sets."

"Wait." Gibbs held up his hands in a "stop everything" gesture. "The Glock and Bowie knife were in Evidence at the time of the second murder."

The silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Finally, Meghan suggested, "Maybe someone snuck in, swapped the evidence with a couple of props, and walked out with the real murder weapons." When everyone stared at her, she said defensively, "What?"

"That's actually not the first time we've had something like that happen," McGee admitted. "In fact, Gibbs here often uses a similar tactic for interrogation."

The Bossman glared, but said nothing. He ordered, "Evidence lockup. _Now_."

While the agents exited Labby, Tony heard Ziva ask, "What did you find in that print-out, Tony?"

Glancing at the others to make sure they weren't eavesdropping—although one couldn't be too sure about the one and only Leroy Jethro Gibbs—he lowered his voice as he said, "Keane's the Shifter who told Nixon that we exist, and he said to keep an eye on a certain NCIS team—and a closer eye on two of its agents."

"You mean us." He could see her mind racing; her scent was tinted with fear. "Our dead petty officer must have figured out what we are, called him, then when we show up—you in wolf form—and she bolts."

"Now he thinks she's a Shifter, so he goes after her and—" Ziva mimicked firing a gun and slid a finger across her throat.

"Works for me," Gibbs said from where he'd stopped and looked back at them. Volkov and Kort exchanged glances, some mental conversation going on, Tony figured, and continued walking, following McGee.

"How long have you been standing there, Boss?" asked Tony.

"Long enough to hear your theory. Now keep moving."

Ziva and Tony had to trot to keep up.

When they reached lockup, Gibbs punched in the access code and the group was granted entrance. The former Marine flashed Ethan Keane's photo at one of the personnel and asked if the man had been in there the day before, but the woman said she hadn't seen him. Gibbs and McGee repeated the procedure with several others, but no one had seen him. DiNozzo, David, Kort, and Volkov, meanwhile, tried a different method. Even when they weren't in wolf form, they retained their heightened senses as wolves in their human shape. Between the four of them, they should be able to detect a single Shifter's scent. How hard could it be?

Not very. Ziva was the one who caught the scent after hanging around where they kept the Madison case files. This made sense, since she and Tony had been in the guy's house. Since no one had seen Keane as a human, Tony figured he had snuck in here as a wolf, shifted to grab what he needed and replaced them with the props, transformed, and loped away using the shadows as a cover, eventually returning to human form. If that were the case, surely someone had seen a black wolf with green eyes lurking around. Heck, maybe he'd even charmed his way in using his ATF agent status. Either way, they were totally screwed.

Anyway, they were now taking the box and bag from their spots on the shelf. One look was all it took to see that these weren't the Glock and Bowie Ziva and Tony had brought in. Gibbs swore, whirling around and striking out with a fist at one of the metal posts. All his efforts earned him were bruised knuckles, and he didn't have a Shifter's healing capabilities. Now that Tony thought about it, that was probably one of the reasons Nixon and Jeanne were interested in them. But how did the former Marine in Autopsy fit in? As far as he could see, he didn't. Wrong place at the wrong time, maybe? Gibbs' voice broke into his musings with: "Find Keane. Tony, I want you and Ziva on his trail—yes, _again_," he added when Ziva opened her mouth in protest. "The rest of you, see if you can find Nixon. I want those two _now_."

_Probably because half his team is in danger,_ Tony thought—and he wasn't referring to Elf Lord or Gibbs himself. Obviously it was the team's two Shifters who were in trouble, even though they could take care of themselves and were highly trained federal agents.

"Tony, come on. Let's go," Ziva murmured in his ear, tugging gently on his arm. He followed her out to the elevator, then to the parking lot. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and he let out an involuntary growl, stiffening as he swiveled his head, eyes searching. Beside him, Ziva went stock-still. "What is it?"

Finally his eyes located the object of interest. A solid black wolf with green eyes was crouched hidden among a copse of trees, even though most of the red and gold leaves had fallen off. Tony jerked his head slightly in the wolf's direction. "Over there, Ziva."

His partner followed his gesture, eyes narrowed. "Let's go." She was walking over to the solid black wolf before DiNozzo could utter a single word of protest.

Seeing them heading in his direction, the wolf—Ethan Keane—bared his teeth in a snarl, raised the fur on the back of his neck, and, turning on his heel, bolted.

Tony hurriedly told Ziva, "Call Gibbs. Tell him what's happened, then shift and try to catch up. I'm going to follow him."

She nodded and turned him to face her, their faces way too close. Just when Tony thought she was going to kiss him, she said, "Try not to get yourself killed. You don't have Gibbs's permission—or mine, for that mass."

"Matter, Ziva."

"Whatever. Now get going." She shoved him in the direction of the trees and pulled out her cell phone, dialing Gibbs' number.

The senior field agent jogged over to the copse and glanced around to make sure no one but Ziva was watching. Satisfied, he stripped, hid his clothes, gun, and shield, and transformed. Once in his wolf form, his already heightened senses exploded and he could easily track the black wolf. Tony glanced back at Ziva, who made a shooing motion at him. Then, tongue lolling in a wolfish grin, the green-gray-eyed brown wolf loped away, following his quarry's trail.

_Never mess with Team Gibbs, buddy._

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

"Tell me you have something, Ziva," Gibbs said over the phone.

"Gibbs, Keane was here."

"Well, yeah, I know _that_," he said in a voice rich with sarcasm.

"No, I mean as in he was just here, we saw him, and he bolted. In wolf form. Tony's gone after him."

There was stunned silence for a few seconds. Then Gibbs cursed and said, "You're saying this guy is a werewolf?"

"Shifter," Ziva corrected, "and I'm going to help Tony."

"Ziva—" Gibbs started, but she'd hung up on him. Glancing around to make sure she was alone, Ziva started running towards the copse of trees, discarding her clothes as she went. Then she leaped into the air. When she landed, she was a dark brown she-wolf. She quickly nosed her clothes into a pile, picked up her and Tony's weapons and shields, and sprinted after her partner.

The Mossad liaison easily caught up with him and nipped at his heels. _I'm impressed. You're fast. _Somehow, she managed not to drop their shields or guns.

_Thanks. Now let's go see if we can catch him_, Tony thought, putting on a burst of speed. Ziva raced alongside him, their pelts occasionally brushing and sending an electric spark through her from nose to tail-tip. A low growl rose in her throat, slightly muffled by the objects she was carrying. Maybe she should just ditch the SIGs.

_I wouldn't do that if I were you, Zi._

_Sorry, but my jaws ache. And maybe you should have thought of grabbing your own gear._

_Maybe. Just keep going, love. We're right on his trail._

Ziva almost tripped over her own paws. _What did you just call me?_

He didn't look at her, but he did slow down from their fast sprint to a three-beat lope. _I would've thought you'd figured it out already, Zi. _His tone was matter-of-fact.

_You mean it's _my _name on your ink? _There was a hint of a snarl in her thought as she added, _What about Jeanne?_

_She's a Static and I was just doing my job._

_How touching._ The unfamiliar voice entered their minds. Ziva bristled and drew her lips back in a snarl, skidding to a halt and dropping her meager possessions. Beside her, Tony growled and took a step forward, hackles raised and tail lifted, showing all the signs of aggression. She scanned the streets for the black wolf and spotted him in the shelter of an alleyway. Had they really run that far that fast? Apparently. Bracing herself for a fight, Ziva dropped the SIGs and their shields and kicked them under a little overhang. Tail low, she crept forward, her weight on her haunches.

_Ziva, wait. _Tony's voice in her head stopped her from going any further. She looked over her shoulder irritably at him. _What?_ The irritated Mossad officer sent her thought to him directly, using private thought-speak.

_It could be a trap._

_Then you check it. I'm going in. _Her wolf instincts were itching for a fight, and she welcomed the rush that came in the heat of battle. Belly low to the ground, she slunk forward, ears pricked for the slightest sound of movement from their suspected killer.

She'd made it into the entryway when a heavy weight dropped down on her. Ziva rolled with the impact and sprang to her paws, whirling to face her attacker. All she saw was a blur of black fur as Keane leaped for her. She launched herself at him, managing to rake her claws down his side as she did. When they landed, Ziva didn't give him a chance to attack. She pounced on him, burying her fangs in his shoulder. Ethan yelped and bucked, trying to throw the she-wolf off.

_Geez. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't be aggressive and kick tail._

_Hey, get off me, _Ethan snarled.

_No, I don't think so, _Ziva shot back, sinking her fangs in even deeper. The black wolf went crazy, bucking and twisting in midair to try to loosen her hold. All his efforts earned him was more muscle damage.

Finally Ziva had to breathe. She tore herself free of her adversary and circled him, eyeing him warily. _Do you give up?_

The green-eyed midnight-colored wolf drew his lips back and growled, tongue flicking out between his teeth. _No. _

_I would if I were you, _Tony remarked, trotting up to them. The amusement in his eyes made Ziva want to bite him. Instead, she settled on kicking Keane in the side.

_Ow! Geez, what was that for? _When neither NCIS Shifter replied, he asked Tony, _Why wouldn't I?_

_Maybe because I'll gladly rip your throat out_, Ziva said, placing a forepaw on his neck after Tony tipped him over onto his side. _Now, you're under arrest._

_Wait, what?_

_You have the right to remain silent, _DiNozzo thought gleefully. _Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you._

Ethan struggled but stilled when Ziva snapped her jaws dangerously close to one of his ears. _Do you not know what the word "freeze" means?_

Thankfully, Gibbs arrived, panting. He'd obviously run there from NCIS headquarters. The silver-haired Static froze when he saw the three wolves. "Tony? Ziva? Is that you guys?"

Ziva wagged her tail when Gibbs said her name and Tony barked. She asked, _Should we shift back?_

_Yeah. We're near one of our lairs anyway._

The air between them became charged with static electricity; seconds later, where the two brown wolves had been, Tony and Ziva were.

Gibbs's shock reflected on his face. "So you weren't lying. And guys, put on some clothes."

"Yes, Boss," Tony said, slinging an arm around Ziva's shoulder. She let it stay there as they made their way to one of their hidden lairs. Shifters had set up these little hidey-holes in case of an emergency, so there were plenty of food, blankets, and clothes.

Five minutes later they returned wearing cotton sweatshirts and loose drawstring pants. Ziva had an extra pair for the captured Shifter, who pulled them on once he'd shifted back to human form.

Grinning, DiNozzo pointed at Keane and told Gibbs, "Book 'em, Dano."

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

He was treated to the almighty Gibbs-slap. "Shut up, DiNozzo."

"Yes, Boss," Tony replied, chastised.

Still, Gibbs hauled the black-haired Shifter to his feet and slapped handcuffs on his wrists. "You're under arrest."

"Hey, spare me the rap, okay? I've already had my rights read to me by these two. And I'm ATF. I know my rights."

A slight growl came from Ziva's throat, but she silenced it at a look from both Tony and Gibbs.

"Ziva, try not to kill him," said Gibbs. "I know you're Mossad and can turn into a wolf, but unless I say otherwise, no maiming or attacking is allowed, much less killing."

"Yes, Gibbs," she said, casting her eyes over Keane's wounds. As the result of a Shifter bite, his injuries would take longer to heal than regular ones.

"Now come on. Let's take him to Interrogation."

-oOo-

Behind the screen from Observation, the entire team minus Gibbs was watching, Tony munching on popcorn. Even Abby was there, though she'd removed the fake fangs, giving Ziva some sense of relief. She just didn't trust vampires, even fake ones. It didn't help that the Goth was singing "Thriller" by Michael Jackson under her breath. Of course, it was Halloween, but still. Throwing caution into the wind, she growled and snapped, "Will you _stop_, Abby? You're making me crazy!"

Abby stopped singing and stared at her. "Was that a _wolf's growl _I heard?"

"What, you want me to bite you? Or howl at the moon?" Ziva retorted. "'Cuz I won't."

"Girls!" McGee and DiNozzo said in unison. "Shut up!"

Abby crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at the probie. Ziva glared at the senior field agent and bared her teeth at him. They were very mature that way.

Everyone's attention returned to the scene in front of them as Gibbs turned in his seat and gave them the universal WTH look. Then he resumed his interrogation. Tossing photos of the two victims on the table, he asked, "Do you know these two?"

Keane studied them before saying, "No."

"Really? 'Cause they know you." The team leader overlaid the ID photos with headshots from Autopsy and the crime scenes, eyes holding Keane's, searching for a flicker of recognition. As the Shifter's eyes landed on Petty Officer Madison's photo, he flinched slightly before regaining his cool composure. It was something the whole team noticed. Picking up on it, Gibbs said, "You're sure you don't know Petty Officer Phoebe Madison?"

The ATF Shifter fidgeted. Ziva flashed back to last night and them being followed by a motorbike. Because it was dark and the headlight had been shining on the rearview mirror, she hadn't been able to see the bike's make, model, or license plate. She had, however, been able to see the rider, but it was only a glimpse. Her photographic memory served her well now, providing build, height, skin tone, and hair color. Ziva was relatively certain that the Shifter facing her boss, her pack leader, if you will, was the person riding the motorbike. She cursed under her breath in Hebrew and exited Observation, storming into Interrogation two seconds later.

Gibbs looked over at her in surprise, clearly wondering what she was doing in there. This was a direct violation of Rule Twenty-Two, after all. Then, at a shake of her head, his face hardened and he rose from the chair he usually occupied, allowing her to sit down. Instead, she motioned for Gibbs to sit back down. He did, the look on his face saying she'd better tell him what she was playing at. Ignoring him, Ziva strode to the table and, leaning forward, slammed her hands down so she and the other Shifter were eye-to-eye. She demanded, "You were following me and my partner last night, weren't you?"

He smirked, clover-green eyes traveling up and down her frame. "Your partner, huh? What kind of partner?"

She growled reflexively and the next thing she knew, the side of his face was red where she'd slapped him.

Behind the glass, Abby's eyes widened and McGee and DiNozzo's mouths fell open in identical stunned expressions. The Goth said, "Wow. I've never seen Ziva react like that. Have you guys?"

Tim replied, "No," and Tony mutely shook his head.

Back on the other side of the mirror, Ziva met Keane's clover-colored gaze, which had hardened as he glared back at her, obviously ticked off. The Israeli Shifter said, "Here's what I think: I think you contacted your old buddy Chris Nixon—for whatever reason—and told him about our . . . condition. Then he tells our dead petty officer—or maybe you did, I don't really care—and she figures it out. So she calls him, he panics, and he has her whacked. You also told him to keep a close eye on two NCIS agents, so we've got you on . . . how many charges, Gibbs?"

He replied, "Murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to kidnapping federal agents, and accessory to murder."

"That second-to-last is pure speculation," Keane blustered. Too late, he realized he'd confessed and clamped his mouth shut.

"Well, that was fast," Tim commented from Observation.

Tony agreed. "For once, we have a guy who 'fesses up and takes all the fun out of it. I'm actually wishing for the people who take longer to crack."

Abby wondered, "What condition is she talking about?"

McGee shrugged and DiNozzo lied, "I have no idea."

Ziva's sensitive ears picked up snatches of their conversation, but she didn't let it on. She continued, "I also think either you or Nixon did a jailhouse tattoo on their"—she tapped a forefinger on the photos, then switched them out for shots with the tattooed arms—"forearm that, as you can see, says _loup-garou. _Know what that means?"

Abby made the connection. "It means 'werewolf', right?"

"Yeah," said Tony without thinking.

Keane said, "You're crazy. I didn't do _that_."

She flashed a dangerous smile. "So where's Nixon?"

When the male Shifter clammed up, Gibbs said, "I wouldn't bother covering for him. If I were him, I'd have ratted you out by now. Besides, we have two agents out looking for him anyway, and Officer David here would be quite happy to have an excuse to shoot you. Or have you guys fight it out. Either way, you'd either be dead or even more wounded than you are now."

Keane considered his options briefly before sighing and rattling off an address. "Can I go now?"

"Oh, yeah," the team leader said as he gathered up the case file, stood, and headed for the door. "To Gitmo. I hear it's very nice this time of year."

Ziva turned, smirked, and gave a little wave. "Pleasure doing business with you."

They left the ATF agent sitting there and met with McGee, Tony, and Abby out in the hall. As her eyes met DiNozzo's, Ziva found herself wondering if he really was meant to be her mate. Until this case was over, they'd have to put whatever their relationship was and where it was going on hold.

"What now?" McGee asked Gibbs.

The former Marine replied, "See if Kort and Volkov have found Nixon and bring him in. If not . . . Well, I don't know."

"Great," Ziva muttered.

She tensed involuntarily when she heard Meghan's voice in her mind: _We can't find Nixon. It looks like he's skipped town. _The auburn-haired Russian must have been in wolf form. Meghan added a not-so-very-nice word in Russian, which made Ziva smile slightly. _We're gonna head back to NCIS; meet up with you guys. Did you find Keane?_

_Yeah. He's in custody, and I'm sure he's the Shifter you were looking for,_ the Mossad liaison thought back.

_Good. _Meghan's reply held a note of satisfaction. _By the way, is Tony your mate yet?_

Ziva, who had been walking alongside the others, stumbled. She would have fallen if Gibbs hadn't caught her. _Um, yeah, I guess. I mean, I just found out a little while ago that it's my name on his ink. Why are you so curious, anyway?_

_Oh, no reason. Look, I gotta go. _Meghan severed the connection and Ziva became aware of the others looking at her in concern. DiNozzo asked, "You okay, Ziva?"

She was about to reply when she heard footsteps treading down the hall behind them. The Mossad liaison turned around and bolted for the interrogation room, the startled team behind her.

A quick glance inside confirmed her fears: Ethan Keane was gone.

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

Gibbs released a harsh curse and ordered, "Find him! He can't have gone far."

"On it," DiNozzo said automatically, jerking his head so Ziva would follow him. As they rounded the corner, he heard the silver-haired fox ask, "McGee, do you have a fix on Nixon?"

"Well, I can check and see if his cell phone is on," the computer geek said hesitantly. "The GPS on his phone would—"

"Do it." Gibbs's voice was tight and clipped as he issued the command. "And McGee, do it in Abby's lab. I want her helping you."

Not surprisingly, that sounded dirty in so many ways to Tony. He almost smiled but didn't when Ziva Gibbs-slapped him. She growled, "Get your mind out of the gutter, DiNozzo."

He retorted, "If you ever Gibbs-slap me again, David, I will—"

"Hey, I was following orders that first time." She smirked evilly. "Besides, I can read your mind, remember?"

Before he could reply, she had grabbed his hand and was pulling him behind her down the corridor.

-oOo-

Meghan cast a worried glance to her right at the gray-black wolf padding beside her. Kort was usually silent, but lately he hadn't been communicating much at all. She was about to ask what was wrong when she heard twigs cracking on the path in front of her (the two wolves were in RockCreekPark). The russet-colored she-wolf swept her tail to the side, blocking her mate from going any further. She tensed and crouched, prepared to spring on her unknown enemy.

Kort asked, _What's wrong?_

_I heard something_, she thought back.

He tilted his head. _I don't—_

Before he could finish the sentence, a little six-year-old girl came tearing around the corner, sending dead leaves flying in her wake. She saw the two wolves and her eyes widened. "Doggies!"

_Doggies? _Meghan complained silently. _That's just insulting. Do I look like a dog to you?_

_Why don't you roll over and we'll see? _Kort teased as the girl came scrambling towards them with her hands outstretched. He stepped aside then scrabbled up a nearby bank, leaving Meghan to fend for herself.

_Thanks for your help_, she grumbled.

_You're welcome._

Meanwhile, the girl was coming closer. Nervously, Meghan crouched low, a soft whine pouring from her throat. She really didn't want to hurt the kid unless absolutely necessary. Slinking away or snapping her jaws to scare her off didn't seem like good options, so she had to tolerate the girl's hands running through her fur. The scratching actually felt good, and there was an itch at the base of her tail. . . .

Then the girl's mother rounded the corner. She yelped when she saw her daughter petting a wolf as if it was a tame dog. "Get away from there!"

"Why?" the six-year-old pouted.

"That's not a dog."

"But she's so sweet. Can we keep her?"

Meghan could hear Kort laughing in her mind. _Shut up,_ she snarled silently.

"Sweetie, it's a wild animal. Come on, let's go." She took the girl's hand, and mother and daughter walked down the path. The girl looked back over her shoulder and waved. "Bye-bye, doggie!"

Once they were gone, Kort sent stones and fallen leaves ahead of him as he slid down the slope. Shaking the dust out of his fur, he thought gleefully, _I can't wait to hear what Tony and Ziva have to say about this._

Meghan flicked his nose with her tail. _Let's just get back to the Navy Yard. I told Ziva we'd be heading back soon anyway._

_Ladies first_. Trent fell in beside her as they loped the way back they'd come to his car.

-oOo-

Tony and Ziva rounded the turn to find it empty. Or so they thought. There was a flicker of movement near the end of the corridor, close to the elevator. Ziva's enhanced hearing and eyesight picked up the sound of the elevator doors opening and the black-clad form of the suspect slipping through. _He's going to the parking lot_, she realized. The Israeli Shifter started sprinting again, Tony stumbling behind her before he, too, ran to catch up. Her inner wolf was stirring, excited at the prospect of a hunt—of a kill.

"Ziva, control your wolf," she heard DiNozzo warn.

Somehow, she did, though she had to fight a little. Her beast, much like her, hated to be restrained.

Both of them skidded to a halt just as the elevator doors started to close. Horror shimmied down Ziva's spine when she saw that Keane, instead of going up to the car park, was heading _down_.

"We're screwed," she muttered. "He's going to the evidence garage."

"There's another way down there," Tony said. "Come on!"

He took off, Ziva alongside him. They ignored the curious looks they were receiving from other agents and personnel.

-oOo-

The Mossad liaison eyed the ancient-looking stairway in disgust. "You're joking. Since when are there secret passageways in this building?"

Tony paused for a second, thinking. "Good question. Now, come on." The movie-loving agent ducked down as the entered the little room so his head didn't graze the ceiling. With a cautious glance around to make sure they were alone, Ziva followed.

It didn't take long for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. There were cobwebs all over the place and the old wooden stairs creaked, but that couldn't be helped. When another panel in the wall slid open to reveal Evidence Lockup, Ziva said in surprise, "Now we know how Gibbs gets around so fast."

"And this is probably how Keane got in," DiNozzo added. He stepped through, glancing around. "Careful, Ziva. He could be—"

Tony was cut off as a low, warning growl reverberated through the room. Brown eyes narrowed, Ziva watched, hidden, as her partner dropped and rolled, successfully avoiding the large black wolf as it leaped for him. As he rolled, he was removing his clothes, preparing to shift. Before he could, the other male Shifter was pouncing again, forepaws extended.

_No! _Quickly, Ziva began shedding her own clothes, making sure she stayed hidden. Then she transformed and, moving quietly, snuck up behind the two of them. The Israeli dropped into a crouch, muscles tense, and sprang, bowling over the green-eyed black wolf for the second time that Halloween. Her distraction gave Tony the opportunity to morph, and soon the medium-brown wolf was joining the battle.

Keane didn't stand a chance two-against-one, but desperation made him a vicious fighter. Somehow he knocked DiNozzo's paws out from under him, leaving the NCIS agent helpless. When his jaws closed around Tony's fur-covered throat, Ziva lunged for the midnight-colored wolf again. The hind paw lashing out stunned her momentarily, but she recovered quickly. All she knew was that she had to release Keane's suffocating hold on Tony. If she didn't, he would die. After all, they didn't have Gibbs's permission.

Ziva bit down hard on Ethan's tail, causing him to yelp with pain and release Tony. The furious wolf turned on her, snarling, completely forgetting about the recovering DiNozzo. Unleashing a low howl of rage, he leaped for the crouching she-wolf.

It was his fatal mistake.

Immediately Ziva sprang up from the floor, her jaws latching onto his throat. She ignored the fresh wave of pain as his claws raked her shoulders. Besides, his blows were steadily growing weaker as she tightened her hold, crushing his windpipe.

She tasted blood and, forcing her jaws apart, stepped back. If she'd nicked his carotid artery, he would bleed to death within seconds—and, knowing anatomy, she knew she had. It helped that, in death, Keane reverted back to human form.

A hand rested on her shoulder, making her whirl around, teeth bared.

DiNozzo, back in human form and fully dressed, jerked his hand away from those snapping jaws. "Ziva, cool it! It's just me. You can shift back now."

Her brown eyes narrowed at him before she slunk away to where she'd stashed her clothes. A minute later she reappeared, clothed, and saw Tony was on the phone.

"Gibbs, we found Keane in Evidence Lockup. You might want to bring Ducky," he said tersely before hanging up. He turned to Ziva, arms out questioningly, head tilted to the side.

She took a step toward him—and snatched his phone out of his hand.

"Hey!"

She scrolled through his contacts and then looked up in surprise. "You have Meghan's phone number but not Kort's?" The Mossad officer pressed Send anyway, smiling slightly at Tony's indignant outraged look.

"Who are you and how did you get this number?" was the first thing Ziva heard on Volkov's end of the line. All she said in response was, "It's Ziva."

"Oh. I'm guessing you're using Agent DiNozzo's cell."

"Yes, but this isn't a friendly call." At the tense silence, she knew she had the other she-wolf's interest. "Keane's dead. We—Tony and I—had to fight to defend ourselves and I killed him. You and Kort can go home."

"You know this isn't over," the auburn-haired Russian warned.

"I know," Ziva replied, but Meghan had already hung up. The Israeli turned back to Tony, intending to return the cell phone, and saw he was pulling Keane's clothes back on the corpse. Although they were violating protocol, neither agent could leave him like that. Pocketing the phone, she helped her—partner? mate?—with the gruesome task. When they were done, she handed him his phone—and stepped closer. Understanding what she needed, his hands slipped around to her back, holding her, comforting her.

"He would have killed you," she whispered. "I had to do it." Although she had been trained by Mossad to be a killer, as a Shifter—who respected life—she hated it. Even an enemy was killed with regret.

"I know," Tony soothed, "but I'm glad you did. Besides"—he smiled a little—"I don't have Gibbs's permission to die."

That elicited a laugh from her before she cut it off and snuggled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

They were still in that position when McGee, Gibbs, Abby, Palmer, and Ducky arrived two minutes later.

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Gibbs cleared his throat and snapped, "Once you two are done playing—"

"They didn't look like they were doing anything," Abby interrupted. The Goth looked at them curiously before her eyes landed on the corpse. "What happened to him?"

Ducky and his assistant crouched near the body. Palmer took one look and blanched. "It looks he was mauled by a dog."

"Yes, I would say cause of death was this bitemark on his throat," Dr. Mallard said. He snapped on latex gloves so he could further examine the body. Placing a gloved hand on the dead Shifter's skin, he frowned. "Jethro, he's still warm. I'd say he's been dead for a few minutes."

Tim, Abby, and Palmer stared at the ME and team leader, then swiveled their heads to Ziva and Tony. She held their gazes steadily. "What?"

The forensic scientist's eyes latched onto the wounds on Tony's neck that were just visible over his shirt collar. "You're hurt." Abby stepped forward and nudged the collar down so she could have a better look. "Ohmigod, Tony, what happened? You too, Ziva."

Ziva's partner snorted and gestured at the corpse. "He bit me. I bit him back. Served him right. I wish I had rabies."

"Need I remind you you'd be dead if it weren't for me?" the Israeli added. She winced and put a hand to her head where one of Ethan's hind paws had struck her. There weren't any marks but it did hurt.

Abby's brow furrowed then relaxed as she figured it out. Ziva could almost see the light bulb go off over her head. "You guys are were—"

Lightning fast, Ziva clamped a hand over Abby's mouth, muffling the end of her sentence. Removing her hand, she lied, "No, we're not, but we don't want a rumor like that circulating around."

"Yeah, sure," the Caf-Pow-loving scientist said quickly.

"Well," Ducky said as he rose from where he was crouched next to the body, "let's bring him to Autopsy. Mr. Palmer, did you bring the body bag?"

Surprisingly, he had. The two MEs zipped up the corpse and headed for Autopsy carrying the bag between them.

Tony tensed beside Ziva when Abby, who had moved away from them, whispered something in McGee's ear that had the probie shooting furtive glances at his teammates. Ziva, too, stiffened, but for a different reason: Gibbs was giving them his infamous stare.

"You two, here, _now_," he all but snarled. In a softer tone, he told Abby and McGee to head to Labby. "McGee, what's the status on Nixon?"

"Sorry, Boss, but he's turned off his cell and he hasn't left a paper trail. He's gone off the grid." Then the geek and the Goth left.

If Ziva was in her wolf form right now, she would have her tail tucked between her legs and be cowering in submission. Gibbs was way mad.

"I don't suppose you want to tell me what happened?" he asked in a voice of steel, his pale blue eyes as cold as ice.

"When we arrived," Tony began, "Keane had already shifted and was waiting for us. He jumped me, but I dodged. Keane attacked me again before I could morph. Then Ziva shifted—she was hidden—and shoved Keane off of me. Like I said before, unless we're bitten by another lycanthrope or the weapon that strikes us is silver, we have the ability to heal quickly."

"He tried to take on the two of us," Ziva took over, "and managed to knock Tony off his paws. He would have killed him if I didn't, Gibbs. It was self-defense."

She was relieved to see that the hard look in his eyes abated. "File the paperwork, then rest. It's been a long day."

"You're right about that," Ziva muttered as she followed the other two to the elevator.

-oOo-

Hours later the team was chowing down on Chinese, courtesy of DiNozzo (it was his turn to buy dinner). The case was closed to their satisfaction—they'd catch Chris some other day—and Ziva, Tony, Tim, and Leroy Jethro had finished their reports. Of course, both Ziva and her partner were careful to omit any aspects of the case that dealt with their world. Ethan Keane's autopsy would confirm that he was killed by a wolf, but there was nothing they could do about that. And if Abby _did _run the DNA found on his body, it would be mostly wolf with some human DNA mixed in.

As if the thought of her called her up, Abby came bouncing into the bullpen. _She's probably loaded with caffeine_, Ziva thought. Still, she listened as the hyperactive black-haired woman said, "What are you guys doing here? It's Halloween! A friend of mine is having a party and she said I could bring friends. You're all invited." She stopped talking and looked at them expectantly. "McGee, are you coming?"

"Uh . . . well . . ."

"Why not, _Elf Lord_?" Tony teased.

Ziva watched on in amusement as Tim sighed. "Okay. Tony, just don't tease me."

The senior field agent smiled wickedly. "Going as your online gaming persona?"

McGee's flushed skin spoke volumes.

Raising her voice in order to be heard above DiNozzo's laughter, Abby chose her next victim. "What about you, Ziva?"

She glanced down at her long-sleeved black shirt and dark blue jeans. "Sure, Abby. Hears like fun."

"It's 'sounds like fun,' Ziva," Tony corrected.

"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Tony, are you coming to the party?"

With a smile, he replied, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Great!" Abby clapped her hands together. "See you there!" She extracted some slips of paper from her pocket. "Here's the time and address." With a wide grin on her face, she skipped towards the elevator, fake fangs back in place.

Briefly Ziva wondered if the team leader should have been invited but shrugged. Gibbs would probably spend the whole night working on his boat.

"See you tomorrow, Boss," said McGee as he followed Abby.

"I'm gonna head too," DiNozzo added, rising from his seat.

Ziva said a hasty good-bye and caught up with the others just as the elevator doors started to close.

-oOo-

It was 8:00 at night. Ziva parked her car and headed up the long, winding driveway. She was glad of her night vision; it enabled her to see objects and holes that would trip up Statics.

A dark shadow loomed at the edge of her vision. The Shifter whirled, already positioned in a fighting stance. A low warning growl issued from her throat.

"Ziva, relax," a familiar voice said. "It's me."

She loosened her tense muscles. "Tony, if you value your life, don't _ever_ sneak up on me like that again."

"Yes'm." He grinned, his teeth flashing white in the darkness, and gestured at the decorations. "Creepy, huh?"

Ziva glanced around, taking in the dead trees, fake ghosts, cobwebs, black cats, and tombstones galore. Then she focused on Tony, looking him up and down. "What are you supposed to be—Elvis?"

He shuddered. "God, no." A sly smile lit his face. "I'm a Hollywood werewolf—before the transformation."

She flicked her gaze up casually. "You might be in trouble for that. It's the full moon tonight."

"Good point, my ninja." Then he frowned. "Somehow, I didn't expect for you to come as—"

"Your crazy ninja?"

"Yes."

Ziva glanced down at her outfit—it was what she'd been wearing all day—and smiled slightly. "Do you want to go inside?"

Heat shot through her as he took her hand in his. "I'd like to walk around for a bit first," Tony said. "Care to join me?"

She said nothing, just let him lead as they wandered the grounds. Pale light from the moon washed everything silver and cast deep shadows. Ziva had to fight her animalistic nature; full moon nights always made her edgy.

They stopped when the large house appeared to be five feet tall, in a clearing ringed by trees. All too aware of DiNozzo's closeness to her, Ziva risked stealing a glance and found he had leaned in close. A shiver raced up her spine at the realization he intended to kiss her. Not only that—she wanted him to. And right now she could feel the heat of his body reaching out. Her head tilted up in invitation; the next second, his warm mouth was on hers, hesitant at first but quickly becoming more passionate.

Reluctantly, she finally pulled back. "_Now_ how about we check out the party?"

"Sounds good to me," he agreed.

As they walked back to the house, hands clasped together, Ziva could feel that soul-deep connection she'd heard about: the connection that meant she'd found her mate. Whatever was coming next, they could handle it.

Together.

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning was November 1st, better known as All Souls' Day. NCIS Director Jenny Shepard was in her office reading over the file on the Phoebe Madison case. She was pleased that the case had been closed, but there were some parts of it that she felt were missing from Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva's reports. It was almost as if the three of them were hiding something. But what?

Pondering over the question, Jenny punched the intercom button that connected her to her secretary. "Cynthia, bring up Special Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo and Officer David."

"Yes ma'm," Cynthia replied.

Seconds later, her door slammed against the wall, announcing the presence of her former lover and two of his agents. "Hello. Have a seat, you three."

The look on DiNozzo's face was priceless. He looked like he was back in high school, facing the principal as he waited for his verdict.

Ziva spoke first, voicing the question that no doubt was on all three agents' minds. "What's this about, Director?"

Jenny took a few moments to formulate her thoughts. Then she began, "About your reports—"

"What about them?" Gibbs interrupted shortly.

"Something's off. Is there something you deliberately kept out of them?"

"You could say that," Tony muttered.

Ziva shot him a warning glare and kicked him in the shin.

Gibbs slapped both of them on the back of the head.

The redheaded director said nothing. She raised an eyebrow, waiting until the three of them were settled. Then she remarked, "Enlighten me."

Tony and Ziva looked at Gibbs, who shook his head and stepped back. "I'm staying out of this. It's your problem."

Jenny noticed the two briefly exchange glances. Some unspoken message passed between them, something along the lines of:

Ziva: _You tell her._

Tony: _Why me? I'm the one who told Gibbs. Remember?_

Ziva: _Fine. I'll do it._

Amazing how she could tell all that just from studying the looks on their faces.

Finally the Mossad liaison officer said carefully, "Director, do you believe in the supernatural?"

Wondering where this was going, Jen replied, "Not exactly, but I like to think I have an open mind."

Something close to relief flashed across Ziva's face. "Good. Director, Tony and I are Shifters."

It took her a few moments to comprehend that. "What?"

Ziva shifted her weight. "The general public would call us werewolves, but the technical term is lycanthrope."

Jen's mind whirled; she gave a half laugh. "You're not just saying that because yesterday was Halloween, are you?"

Again, the three of them exchanged glances. Jenny noticed and latched her gaze on her ex-lover. "You're not a werewolf as well, right?"

Thankfully, he shook his head. "No, I'm human."

Agent DiNozzo said, "We're not lying, Director. And for future reference, we call ourselves Shifters."

_This is ridiculous. Everyone knows werewolves don't exist! This must be from the stress of the case—yes, that's it. I mean, really, werewolves! Some counseling would be good for them._

Pleased with the decision, the redhead said, "Agent DiNozzo, Officer David, I'm ordering you two to attend therapy for two weeks."

"Director!" Ziva protested.

Tony sputtered, "You're not seriously going to make us see a shrink when we're perfectly fine!"

"Watch me," she retorted.

Growling, the senior field agent turned and stalked out of the office. Ziva gave the director an apologetic look before following him out.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs's lips twitched as he fought back a smile. Jen leaned back in her chair and studied him. "How long do you think they're going to last?"

"Not even a week," he said with a chuckle. "See you, Jen." Still laughing, the former Marine walked out of her office, slamming the door shut behind him.

Director Shepard closed her eyes. A ghost of a smile flitted across her face as she pictured Tony and Ziva making their dramatic escape out of the shrink's office, not having lasted even an hour.

-oOo-

The brunette stood in the doorway of the crowded restaurant, searching for the person she'd agreed to meet. She found him near the back at a table for two and weaved her way through the maze. Sitting down across from him, she said, "You wanted to see me."

Hazel eyes topped by shaggy blond hair peered over the menu, looking her over. The twenty-five-year-old man set the menu down and slid it to the side. "You're late."

"Maybe you're early," she retorted.

He checked his black wristwatch and feigned surprise. "So I am. Now, let's get down to business. I'm Chris. Your name is Jeanne, right?"

"Yes."

Chris leaned forward, his hands clasped together and resting on the table in front of him. He was about to say more when the waitress who had just materialized asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"Water," he answered.

"Iced tea," said Jeanne when the woman turned to her.

The waitress made a note and left.

When they were alone again, Chris picked up where he'd left off. "Look, I know your friend Tony—"

"He's no friend of mine," Jeanne spat.

Chris inclined his head. "I can see why you think that, after finding out that he's a werewolf. But just think of the medical ramifications!" His eyes lit up. "In wolf form, they heal even faster than we do. If we could isolate that gene, replicate it . . . and there are the recreational uses, too. Wouldn't you want to be able to shift into a wolf?"

Jeanne hesitated, thinking back to the night Tony had been in her apartment. She envied him for what he was, yet scared of him too. Beneath that was longing. . . . The brunette took a deep breath. "What are you proposing?"

The waitress came by, set down their drinks, and went on to other customers. Chris took a sip of water before answering her question. "A partnership. I want to capture a lycanthrope and study it, but I need your help. You in?"

She swallowed. "I'm in."


	2. In Walks the Night

**Track List**

1. "Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne

2. "Call of the Wild" by Heart

3. "Cool Zero" by Pat Benatar

4. "Curse of the Werewolf" by Timeless Miracle [requested by earanemith]

5. Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest

6. Golden Eyes by Heather Alexander and Vic Taylor [requested by earanemith]

7. In Walks the Night by Heart

8. Nothin' at All by Heart

9. Notorious by Loverboy

10. Renegade by Styx

11. Shadows of the Night by Pat Benatar

12. She Wolf by Shakira

13. Still of the Night by Whitesnake

14. The Night by Heart

15. The Wolf by Heart

16. Thriller by Michael Jackson

17. Voodoo Doll by Heart

18. Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon

19. You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) by Meat Loaf

20. All Revved Up With No Place to Go by Meat Loaf

21. Animal by Def Leppard

22. Howling for You by the Black Keys [requested by earanemith]

23. It Was All a Lie by Evanescence [requested by earanemith]

24. It's Terror Time Again by Skycycle

25. Moon Over Bourbon Street by Sting

26. Rock You Like a Hurricane by the Scorpions

27. Run With the Wolf by Rainbow [requested by earanemith]

28. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by the Eurythmics [requested by earanemith]

29. What You Want by Evanescence [requested by earanemith]

30. One Wild Night by Bon Jovi

31. Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran

32. Ring of Fire by Def Leppard

33. Bad Boys by Whitesnake

34. Tonight by Def Leppard

35. Desert Song by Def Leppard

* * *

Track One: Bark at the Moon

_Screams break the silence  
__Waking from the dead of night  
__Vengeance is boiling  
__He's returned to kill the light  
__Then when he's found who he's looking for  
__Listen in awe and you'll hear him_

_Bark at the moon_

He raced through the night, shadows playing over his pelt. The medium-brown, green-eyed wolf cast a glance back at his pursuers. They were yards behind him; in this form, he could move faster than the average human. Even so, their furious screams split the silence of the night.

In human form, the wolf was NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, often called Tony by his friends and co-workers. Now, the reason he was in this position was because one of his kind had revealed their existence to humans. Apparently, a few of them weren't ready to accept that Shifters existed. To them, he was like a werewolf in those old horror movies.

The wolf currently was running for his life in the backstreets of his neighborhood. Somehow word had leaked out that he was a Shifter, although _he_ hadn't spilled the beans.

His pursuers were growing closer, yet becoming ever louder as they grew frustrated since, due to his smaller size, he could slip through gaps that they could not.

Tony's fear for his life soon gave way to a new emotion: vengeance. All he'd wanted to do was go for a run, maybe find Ziva David—his partner, fellow wolf, and mate—so she could come with him. Sadly, his plan had been foiled by the small group of teenagers and freshmen in college who had just come out from watching a horror movie at the local theater and seen him shift. Mentally, Tony cursed himself for not being more cautious. Yet it was the dead of night; he hadn't expected anyone to be out, much less across the street from the dark alley where he'd stripped and transformed. It being the full moon tonight didn't help his cause.

He growled low in his throat, snapping his jaws together in frustration. If he could only give them the slip . . .

Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw a narrow side street, so narrow that he'd almost missed it. Swiftly he turned, squeezing into the crevice.

The group of boys thundered past his hiding place. Tony waited a few more seconds before racing down the path, wondering where it led. His fur seemed to crackle with energy, especially when he imagined what would happen when he found the one he was searching for.

_Years spent in torment  
__Buried in a nameless grave  
__Now he has risen  
__Miracles would have to save  
__Those that the beast is looking for  
__Listen in awe and you'll hear him_

_Bark at the moon  
__Hey, yeah  
__Bark at the moon_

Finally he slowed to a stop once he was sure he was relatively safe from the mob. Panting, sides heaving, Tony reached out with his mind for Ziva. He felt the connection and thought, _Ziva, I'm in a bit of a situation._

_What other situation would you be in when you go for a run at night, DiNozzo?_

_I didn't ask to be chased by a bunch of teens!_

Concern radiated from her. _Where are you now?_

He glanced around and shook his head. Then he remembered that she couldn't see him and he replied, _I'm in my neighborhood, but I have no idea where._

_Oh, great. Tony, only something like this would happen to _you.

_Save it,_ he snapped. He softened the thought as he added, _Where are you?_

_Stay where you are. I'll come to you._

_But Ziva—_

She severed the connection. Tony huffed and sat down, raising a forepaw to paw at his muzzle, trying to rid himself of an itch. It worked, much to his satisfaction. Then his ears pricked up and he shot to a standing position as he heard the shouts starting up again, perhaps a quarter mile to the east. This predicament was reminding him of the stories he'd heard as a boy, of how some humans had hunted down Shifters and . . . well, he didn't like to think about what happened after they'd been captured. There was a reason Shifters kept their existence secret, so something like _this_ didn't happen. After years of torment, why wouldn't they withdraw?

DiNozzo jumped as the yells sounded closer to his current position. He had to keep moving. And if he ever did find his mate, well, howling at the moon seemed to sound just fine, under the circumstances. Plus, it would strike fear and quite possibly awe into the teens' hearts.

_They cursed and buried him  
__Along with shame  
__And thought his timeless soul had gone (gone)  
__In empty burning hell—unholy one  
__But he's returned to prove them wrong  
__So wrong_

_Oh yeah, baby_

Before he had taken so much as a few strides, the way he'd come through the passageway was blocked as was his escape route. The boys—a group of ten—stepped closer, crowding him. Tony was trapped.

His fur bristled and, not sure what else to do, DiNozzo drew his lips back to show his teeth and snarled.

One or two faltered, but it wasn't enough. The eighteen-year-old who appeared to be the leader slipped a gun out from the waistband of his jeans—Tony wondered briefly for a moment how the hell he'd gotten it past security at the movie theater—and, aiming it at the brown wolf's side, fired.

A low yelp of pain escaped Tony before he could clamp his jaws shut. The wound wasn't fatal—thank God the bullet wasn't made of silver; it was the one thing that could kill a Shifter—but it did hurt. However, since Tony was a federal agent, he'd been shot plenty of times before. He'd just never been shot in wolf form. As far as he could tell, no vital organs had been hit, but he did flop to his belly, pretending that he was seriously wounded.

Quite a few of the teens uttered nasty laughs and one or two landed a kick in his already smarting side. One spat on the ground and another cursed the wolf harshly. Then they left, leaving him for dead. Or so they thought.

Tony waited a few moments as the gunshot wound finished healing and then, moving as silently as a shadow, struck hard and fast at one of the boys bringing up the rear. They'd thought his soul had left, being an unholy creature—in their eyes. He was determined to prove them wrong.

_Howling in shadows  
__Living in a lunar spell  
__He finds his heaven  
__Spewing from the mouth of hell_

Terrified screams issuing from their throats, most of the group scattered. Three of them remained but not for long as DiNozzo curled his upper lip to show bloodstained teeth. Shaking, they fled after their fellows.

The wolf huffed and, reaching out once again for his mate with his mind, asked, _Hey, Ziva, where are you?_

_I'm on my way, Tony._

_Okay. I'll meet you on the corner of Court and Eleven. _Without waiting for her response, he set off at a run, already salivating as he pictured Ziva.

The fact that they could shift at will never really bothered him; he certainly preferred it to the myth that Shifters could only transform when the moon was full. That was only partly accurate: the first transformation _did _happen on the first full moon after the girl's seventeenth birthday and the guy's eighteenth. After that, a Shifter could morph at will.

Ziva was waiting for him at the street corner, hidden in shadows of course. Although it was well past midnight, they couldn't take the chance that someone might be prowling the streets who wasn't one of them.

His tail wagging, DiNozzo nuzzled her. _What took you so long?_

_I'd rather not answer that._

_Well, come on then, _Tony thought. _Let's play. _He pounced on her lightly, teasingly, and then took off, racing away.

Ziva chased after him, quickly catching up. The two of them ran side by side until they reached a little wooded park.

Tony slowed down first and looked up at the moon. Pointing his snout at the white orb, he let out a mournful howl. It wasn't long before Ziva joined in, their voices harmonizing in the wild song.

The eerily beautiful, haunting cry had those that were awake stop what they were doing and listen in awe.

_Those that the beast is looking for  
__Listen in awe and you'll hear him  
__Bark at the moon  
__Hey, yeah  
__Bark at the moon  
__Hey, yeah  
__Bark at the moon  
__Whoa whoa yeah  
__Bark at the moon_

* * *

Track Two: Call of the Wild

_After __midnight  
__I call you  
__Even though I know better  
__I just got to  
__The moon is full  
__My heart is hot  
__And you know what I'm longing to do  
__With this aching I got_

The Israeli's skin tingled with the urge to run. Outside, cool silver light from the full moon shone through the windows of her apartment, fueling the urge her inner beast was sending. Ziva knew it was dangerous, but the call was too strong to resist.

On silent feet, she padded towards her apartment door, leaving it open by a crack. She'd need it for when she came back. Then she stripped, stashing her clothes in a trash bag. Thinking better of it, Ziva shifted back, redressed, and walked out on foot. She headed to a dark alleyway carrying the bag, and, undressing once again, shifted.

A cool breeze ruffled her dark brown fur and she lifted her muzzle to the wind before racing through the streets, casting her mind out for Tony, her fellow Shifter, co-worker at NCIS, and mate. She didn't find him, but finally she slowed down when she reached a park near her apartment. Sitting down, she pointed her snout at the round, white moon and began to howl.

_The call of the wild  
__Oh baby can't you hear me calling  
__Oooh . .  
__The call of the wild  
__Call of the wild_

Across town, Tony jerked upright in bed, hearing the familiar call of the wild. He wanted to throw back his head and howl in return but figured that would alert the neighbors to the fact he wasn't human. So he headed outside, making for the shadows of an alley, where he stripped and transformed. Silver moonlight rippled over his brown coat as he raced through the streets of D.C., following the howl.

It wasn't long before he saw her sitting in a grassy clearing, the wild song pouring from her throat. Tony hesitated before reaching out with a forepaw, ready to go to her. A twig snapped underneath his paw, which made Ziva abruptly break off and whip around. There was hostility, surprise, and something else in her eyes. The first two emotions faded when she recognized him but the latter remained. As Tony padded towards her, he realized it was desire. _Ziva . . ._

_What, Tony? _Her voice managed to sound playful and seductive at the same time as she breathed the thought into his mind.

_How can you ask me  
__Why I'm pushing pushing  
__When you know damn well  
__What you do  
__What you do to a woman  
__I get so inspired  
__Lying so close  
__It's the flash and the flame and the fever  
__I need the most_

_I don't . . . _His protest trailed off as Ziva nuzzled him, her pelt brushing his. _Ziva, what are you doing?_

_Come on,_ she thought, flicking him with her tail before sprinting away. There was no way she could outrun him, though, and he soon caught up with her—which was what she wanted.

Before long, Ziva—human, dressed—and Tony—in wolf form—were walking the dark streets to Ziva's apartment for reasons unknown to DiNozzo—maybe because her place was closer.

None of the other tenants seemed to object to a large wolf being inside the building, but then again, they were asleep. As a result, Ziva and her mate made it inside without being disturbed.

The door shut behind the two Shifters and Ziva hurried to her room to see if she had any clothes that would fit Tony. A pair of sweats seemed like they'd work just fine, so she took them out of her dresser, draped them over her arm, and headed back to the living room and Tony. The Israeli Shifter scratched the medium-brown wolf behind the ear. DiNozzo's pink tongue lolled out in a literally wolfish grin as he tilted his head to the side. When he'd had enough, he shook himself briskly. If he'd been wearing a collar, the tags would have jangled.

Ziva laughed and said, "Here are some clothes that would fit you." She set the sweats on a chair nearby and went back into her room to give Tony some privacy.

Moments later he appeared in the doorway in human form and wearing the sweats she'd laid out for him. She cast an eye over him, then quipped, "Gray really isn't your color."

"Thanks, I think," he muttered.

Looking him over once again, Ziva could feel her wolf stirring—along with her desire. Something about the full moon brought out her other side, the side she had to keep hidden from humans—or Statics, as Shifters referred to those who were locked in the same form. She tried to resist, but it didn't take long for her to give in. Besides, Tony was her _mate._ It wouldn't be wrong for them to . . . She lost her train of thought as he stepped a few more feet into her bedroom. Ziva found she was all too aware of him, the fact they were alone, and her bed was _right there_. On silent she padded toward him, knowing full well what she was longing to do to fulfill this aching need.

Tony, looking uncomfortable, backed up. Normally, she knew, he would relish any opportunity like this. So why wasn't he? Then his back was against the wall and she was pressing against him . . . but now his hands were between them, pushing her back. Her wolf felt as if it were prowling inside her, growing increasingly frustrated. It took her a few moments to realize Tony was talking and the touch of his hands on her shoulders calmed her down slightly.

"Ziva, why are you pushing?"

At the question, her beast growled and started pacing again. Disdain flashed in her eyes and she writhed against his restraining hold. "How can you ask that when you know damn well what you do to me?" she hissed.

_Now_ Tony was starting to become worried. This wasn't like Ziva at all. He was almost sure the full moon was affecting her, making her beast stronger. But his own wolf was restless, wanting her—all of her. And wolf or not, their human sides were there too.

The Israeli managed to break free and was on him before he could react. Then they were falling . . . and landed on the soft mattress. Lying so close to him, Ziva felt as if she were on fire. Yet she needed so much more than this.

_The call of the wild  
__Oh baby can't you hear me calling  
__Oooh . . .  
__The call of the wild_

Unable to stop herself, Ziva nipped at his neck, a low growl of need in her throat, even as her hands were reaching for the ends of Tony's sweatshirt. It was as if she wasn't in control of her own body. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't stop. The call of the wild was too strong, the fine line that separated her from the wolf she could transform into rapidly fading.

_If I could chain you to me  
__I'd do it in a minute  
__My magic caravan  
__Baby you'd be in it  
__I'm hiding the prize and you're gonna win it  
__You're gonna win it now_

"Ziva?" Tony sounded nervous, something that usually what he was like when in a situation like this. "Ziva, stop. Something's not right. This isn't you."

She hesitated for a heartbeat, drawing back to look at him. The senior agent drew in his breath sharply: there was a feral glint in her eyes and no trace of Ziva at all. Her wolf was in control, and with the scent of passion rising from her, it was all Tony could do to rein in his beast.

Ziva barely heard him. She was too far gone. Already she'd removed her sweatshirt from over his head and was beginning to slip out of _la camiseta _she was wearing. She would have him soon, very soon. At the thought, the animal inside her that hovered so close to the surface howled with pleasure. She whispered, "Please, Tony," even as she moved in, her mouth on his.

He'd always tried so hard to maintain his humanity, but now all that flew out the window. Tony was all too aware of her hands slipping around his neck, across his shoulders, and down his back before stopping at the sweatpants' waistline. Then they were gone, even as he was doing the same to her.

Ziva took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. To her, he always smelled like pine needles and sun-warmed brick. Tony, she knew, thought she smelled of the forest at night—it fitted her perfectly.

"Well, thank you," he rasped, green-gray eyes as dark as evergreens as he looked her over.

Her only response was a moan; she was gone, caught up completely in what he was doing to her. _You're gonna win it now_.

At last, physically and mentally exhausted, there was nothing left to do but sleep. If the call came again, they couldn't hope to resist.

_The call of the wild  
__Oh baby can't you hear me calling, calling  
__Oooh  
__The call of the wild  
__Oooh  
__The call of the wild  
__Oooh  
__The call of the wild  
__Oooh  
__Oh baby_

_Listen to me howling  
__For the call of the wild  
__Yeah  
__Oooh  
__Yeah_

* * *

Track Three: Cool Zero

_Art attacks from subway walls  
__Sprayed like bullets into concrete face  
__Everywhere you turn, knuckles are crackin'  
__Suburban monkeys break ghetto habits  
__Body guns loaded for a dime  
__See 'em shed their celebrity skin  
__For a life of trash and crime_

The NCIS team was in one of the gang-controlled suburbs of D.C. and two of its members were eyeing the people crowding the street. Surprisingly, one of them _wasn't _Tim McGee, although he was looking nervous. No, it was Mossad Officer Ziva David and Special Agent Tony DiNozzo, the only team members who weren't fully human. They were what humans called werewolves, though they referred to themselves as Shifters.

Team leader Leroy Jethro Gibbs glanced at his two supernatural agents. Normally they wouldn't be this . . . cautious? . . . of a neighborhood rich with gang wars. Looking around, all he saw was graffiti on practically every building and hard-eyed gang members. There was no reason why Tony and Ziva should be nervous, unless . . . He beckoned the two closer and whispered, "How many of these guys are Shifters?"

"Most of them," Tony replied.

"We're out of our territory," Ziva added. "You don't cross into another wolf's territory unless you have a death wish."

"You would get that one right," Tony muttered. Ziva glared at him but said nothing.

"Well, come on," Gibbs said, striding forward to catch up with McGee. Do we have a suspect to talk to or not?"

His two Shifters followed him, heads held high, not showing any signs of weakness. They still kept an eye out to see if any of the gangsters would shed their human skins for thick wolf pelts. It hadn't taken the hard-eyed men, women, and teens long to shave off all their traditions for a life of trash and crime.

_Cool zero  
__You wanna know where the wild ones go  
__Cool zero  
__You wanna know where the bodies are burned  
__Crawlin' under every rock, you gotta see what time forgot  
__(Cool zero) Cool zero  
__Cool zero_

"Remind me again why we're here," Tony whispered to Ziva.

"We wanted to know where the wild ones go, remember? And the suspect in our current case lives here. Now let's go." She broke into a jog to keep up, Tony on her nine. It was best to stay with the pack in a situation like this. True, neither McGee nor Gibbs were Shifters and McGee didn't know anything about their true selves, but the close-knit NCIS team was a lot like a wolf pack, and with Tony and Ziva's pack mentality, it was how they thought of the team.

Ziva stiffened as some guy wolf-whistled at her from across the street and began walking over. The guy had dark hair and skin, was dressed in tattered jeans and a tight black T-shirt, and was extremely confident. Every single one of her instincts was screaming that he was an alpha wolf.

He stopped in front of her and flashed white teeth. "Hey, _bonita_. Whatcha doing in a place like this?" One of his hands reached out and started playing with a strand of her hair.

A warning growl rumbled in Tony's throat even as Ziva said coolly, "If you value that hand, I suggest you back away. Slowly. It'd be hard to run on all fours when you're missing a paw, wouldn't it?"

The hand dropped.

"You _really_ don't want to cross me," Ziva warned before hurrying after Tim and Jethro, Tony right behind her.

"You wouldn't really have cut off his hand, would you Ziva?" DiNozzo asked.

She just rolled her eyes. "Let's go." With that, she opened the door to the Mexican-style restaurant. The team filed in after her.

_Nothin' stops the hit parade  
__Money makers will be shakin' down  
__Everywhere you go, fingers are snappin'  
__Commercial prophets shout revolution  
__Throwin' dirt upon a good man's name  
__Watch 'em sell his soul for shoes  
__And dance upon his grave_

Their suspect, a Latino who went by the street name Calavero, was busy eating a chicken enchilada for lunch. He looked up at the NCIS agents. "Yes?"

Gibbs said, "I hate to tell you this, but you're under arrest for the murder of Petty Officer Lindsey Reed."

Calavero smiled dangerously and snapped his fingers. The gesture confused Team Gibbs for a moment; then they realized several of the gang members outside were being replaced by masses of furry bodies.

McGee's eyes widened and he crumpled to the floor in a heap, out cold.

Gibbs glanced around, saw the large wolves trying to break in, and swore harshly. "Tony, Ziva, can you shift?"

"Boss, what about McGee?" Tony asked.

"Don't argue, DiNozzo. Do it!"

One of the doors finally swung open and the wolves swarmed through, parting like a river to flow around any tables that were in their way. Gibbs swore again and reached for his gun.

"Shoot them in the head!" Tony advised, reaching down to grab McGee by the armpits. He dragged the unconscious probie to one of the back rooms and darted back to his mate and team leader's sides.

Calavero gave a low, rasping laugh. The three NCIS agents watched in horror as the gang leader's form blurred. In his place was a dark wolf with blue eyes. Licking his chops, he started circling Gibbs, DiNozzo, and David. Following his lead, the pack closed in, drooling at the thought of an easy kill.

They were trapped.

A black wolf with green streaks in its fur leaped. Reacting on instinct, Gibbs fired straight at its head. Once dead, the wolf turned back to human—this one was a nineteen-year-old girl.

Taking it as a signal, the rest of the pack surged forward.

The ex-sniper cursed and started unloading his gun. He didn't have any silver bullets, so he took Tony's advice and tried to make each shot count. _We have procedures for this, right? _Ziva and Tony had stubbornly refused his order to shift and were fighting any way they could. The Israeli's knife flashed silver as it hurtled through the air and embedded itself in wolf fur.

Soon Gibbs' gun had run out and there were still maybe five or six wolves left. He cursed again. "You two, shift. Now!"

_Cool zero  
__You wanna know where the wild ones go  
__Cool zero  
__You wanna know where the bodies are burned  
__Crawlin' under every rock, you gotta see what time forgot_

_(Cool zero) Cool zero  
__(Cool zero) Cool zero  
__Cool zero (Cool zero)  
__Cool zero_

_In this junk food civilization  
__They will eat and not think twice  
__For a dance in the dragon's jaws  
__They will gladly pay the price  
__And eat their fill  
__Oooh, Oooh  
__Hey_

Glancing at Tony, Ziva quickly began to remove her clothes. (Clothing hampered their ability to shift.) He did the same and within seconds, two snarling wolves were crouched near Gibbs. DiNozzo looked back over his shoulder, winked at the silver-haired fox with human eyes, and, letting out the wolf version of a laugh, pounced on two gang members-turned-wolf.

Ziva bared her teeth at two other Shifters in wolf form, silently daring them to come closer. One of the younger wolves made the mistake of doing so, blood-hunger in his eyes. It was the last thing he ever did.

Soon, only the NCIS agents and Calavero were the only ones left.

_Give it up,_ DiNozzo thought at him. _You're surrounded. There's no hope of escape._

The black wolf tried to move forward. Ziva drew her lips back from needle-sharp teeth and gave a ferocious snarl that had even Gibbs backing up. _Need I remind you you're already under arrest?_

Calavero whined. It was so high-pitched that he sounded like a she-wolf.

Tony's eyes widened and the next second, he had dropped onto his back with his paws churning the air he was laughing so hard.

Ziva huffed, whiskers twitching. _I don't see what's so funny._

_Do I really have to explain it? _DiNozzo's thought was filled with mirth. _Big, tough alpha wolf who whiles like a little girl pup._

The Israeli sighed and pawed at Calavero. _Shift back. Don't try anything_—she paused—_funny. And yes, I get the pun, DiNozzo._

_Bwahahahahaha_. Tony was still laughing. He stopped immediately when Gibbs slapped him on the back of the head. "You done, Tony?"

The wolf was gone, the senior field agent in his place. "Yes, Boss."

"Good. Get dressed, cuff him, and find McGee. I don't want him waking up and finding all this." He gestured at the corpses.

DiNozzo did as directed, slapping McGee awake once the team was outside.

"Splurg!" The probie's eyes opened and he sat up. "Werewolves!" He looked around wildly. "Where are they?"

"Relax, Probie," Tony said. "You fainted. There aren't any wolves and we caught the bad guy. You hungry?"

McGee thought about it. "Yeah."

"Okay. We'll take him to HQ while you go buy us some McDonald's."

Sensing resistance was futile, McGee sighed and went to one of the Chargers, off to buy lunch.

_Headlines turn in violent days  
__Run like blood across the printed page  
__Everywhere you look, atoms are smashin'  
__Politicians smilin' for the camera  
__And the pictures make you wanna scream  
__Maybe baby we'll just play it cool  
__Like Elvis at nineteen_

The next morning's headline screamed "Gang Members Found Dead in Local Restaurant." DiNozzo, Ziva, and Gibbs simultaneously took one look and dropped the offending newspapers in their respective trash cans.

McGee looked up at the sound of the papers hitting rock bottom. "What was that about?"

"Today's head story sucks," Tony said.

"Oh."

Ziva, bored out of her mind, hit the plasma remote, turning it to the news station. The face of a famous politician filled the screen, flashing a fake smile. Just the sight made her want to scream. "Gibbs, please tell me someone was kidnapped, found dead, or gone missing."

"Why?"

"I'm bored. There's nothing to do! If I don't do something, I'm going to—" She broke off and started pacing, letting loose a growl of frustration.

Tony rose from his seat and went to her. He murmured in her ear, "Calm down, Ziva. We'll just play it cool until this blows over."

"Yeah, cool like Elvis at nineteen." Her voice was terse. "Remind me again how we found ourselves in this mess."

DiNozzo thought about that for a moment. This was reminding him of a song that Abby had been playing a few months ago on a dead petty officer's laptop. "McTunes! Look up 'Cool Zero' and fast forward it to 03:30."

Looking extremely confused, the computer geek did as directed. Moments later, the strains of a rock song filled the bullpen. McGee, recognizing it, started singing along.

_Cool zero  
__You wanna know where the wild ones go  
__Cool zero  
__You wanna know where the bodies are burned  
__Cool zero  
__Crawlin' under every rock, you gotta see what time forgot_

_(Cool zero) Cool zero  
__(Cool zero) Cool zero  
__Cool zero  
__(Cool zero) Cool zero_

"I see," was all Ziva could manage.

"Well, it does have a very good point," Tony said cajolingly.

Gibbs, who had just received a call, set down the phone. "Gear up. We have another case."

Grinning like idiots, Tony and Ziva followed him to the elevator, McGee scrambling to keep up.

* * *

Track Four: Curse of the Werewolf

_The full moon is rising over the moor  
__And I know it will come back to haunt me again_

_Can you hear it—the calling of the moon?  
__It is searching for me now  
__It's a primal rage building up in me  
__Cannot stop it to break free_

Pale, cold silver light flooded over the open field. Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo, a Special Agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, eyed the full moon apprehensively. Although it was barely up, he could feel it calling to him, to the beast harboring within. There was no one to help him, not even Ziva. His beautiful Israeli mate was elsewhere.

The wolf inside him struggled to break free. Tony tried to fight it, but on nights when the moon was full, it was hard to keep control. He could shift at will (only the first transformation was lunar controlled) and kept his humanity even in wolf form, but the urge to transform was so, so strong. . . .

Moonlight caressed his tingling skin. Tony tensed. Moonlight couldn't be felt and yet _he felt it._ He slammed his eyes closed, but even that didn't dull the brightness. Sighing, he opened his green-gray eyes again, looking up at the moon.

_And in its white light there are voices telling me  
__To kill and eat is my destiny  
__Just when I thought I had found my place in life  
__The full moon fever strikes again_

White light washed over him once more. To the senior field agent's horror, he could hear voices whispering in his ear, telling him to hunt—to kill—and eat the carcass.

_NO! I'm not a __Hollywood__ werewolf; I stay human in whichever form I'm in._

He couldn't resist the call forever. The moon and wolf inside him won over. Soon, where Tony had been standing, there was a wolf with fur the color of milk chocolate and gray-green eyes—eyes that remained human. A surprisingly warm wind flattened the tall grass as it swept by and ruffled Tony's thick pelt. Enjoying the sensation, he loped through the field, loving the sound of his paws thundering over the earth.

-oOo-

Ziva David, the Mossad liaison with NCIS, was having a more serious problem than her mate. She was hangin out with Abby Scuito, the Gothic forensic scientist, and Director Jenny Shepard at a club. The rising full moon had immediately put her on her guard. She couldn't shift in public. True, the Director knew her secret, but Ziva knew Jenny just couldn't accept it. Abby had figured it out after a case they'd worked in October, close to Halloween. Her team leader, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, was the only other team and agency member who knew the truth. Then there were two Statics who wanted to capture her and Tony for studying . . . Well, she'd finally found her place at NCIS and she wasn't giving it up for anything.

And yet the pull of the moon was so strong . . .

Ignoring the looks on Jenny and Abby's concerned faces, Ziva brushed past them, heading to some place she could shift without being seen.

_Bloodline deceiver this is my call  
__I am the blazing full moon  
__Bloodline deceiver I gaze from above  
__I bring the madness that makes your blood boil_

Somehow she made it to the women's restroom and into the handicapped stall. Hurriedly, she began to remove her clothes. Ziva hated that the full moon could reduce her to _this, _a creature controlled by her instincts. She knew she was human at the core, but sometimes it was hard to fight her inner wolf.

Free from any clothing, she shifted with a shimmering blink into wolf form. Her fur was such a dark brown that at certain angles it appeared black. As always, her eyes remained human; the brown orbs were the color of chocolate.

Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to be with her mate. Glancing around, Ziva saw a window above the toilet that was partly open. With care, she could wiggle through it.

Backing up, Ziva tensed her muscles, her brown eyes homing in on her target. Then she sprang and landed with her forepaws on the windowsill. Her wolf body crashed against the wall. Hind paws flailing, Ziva managed to push off from the top of the toilet. Then she heaved herself through the opening and dropped down into the back alley. Free at last, she let out a triumphant howl and sprinted away, a shadow in the surrounding darkness.

-oOo-

Tony's head jerked up from where he'd been sniffing a rabbit hole at the sound of a howl spiraling through the night. He knew that voice!

_Ziva! _Tail wagging, he sent his own lamenting cry into the darkness. Normally he hated the full moon and what it could reduce him to, but right now he didn't care, not when his mate was nearby. Tony didn't know why the call of the wolf traveled so far or so effectively; he could be screaming bloody murder and hardly anyone would hear him. It didn't really matter right now. Not with Ziva on her way.

_Hearts set aflame by the spell of the full moon  
__A circle of fire that burns in the night  
__Cannot be stopped it's the curse of the werewolf  
__A child of the night that howl to the moon_

Suddenly the moonlight lit up a dark shape galloping toward him. Tony could feel his heart quicken as he caught the familiar scent wafting towards him. A little howl of joy escaped him as Ziva came ever closer.

_What are you doing here? _he asked.

_I don't really know,_ she replied. _Can you shift back? I'm going to._

Before he could reply, there was a shimmering blink and Ziva stood before him in human form, shivering, cold, and completely bare. Not surprising, really, since winter was on its way. Tony pressed up against her and felt her hands curl into his fur. She held him close, absorbing his warmth. Pulling away slightly, he thought at her, _I'm going to where I shifted. I brought some extra layers. You can wear them._

She nodded. "Okay."

_Just shift back first. You're going to freeze._

Ziva nodded again and the brown-black she-wolf was beside him once more. Tony flicked her with his tail and took off. His mate was right behind him.

Son Tony and Ziva had demorphed and were dressed, the Israeli wearing a long winter coat, sweats, and not much else. She muttered, "We really have to find some way of morphing with clothes—maybe something skintight."

DiNozzo nodded agreement and found he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight . . .

_I can feel it growing strong the wolf inside of me  
__Is trying to break free_

His eyes swept over her, taking in every little detail. As he did so, Tony could feel the wolf inside him growing stronger, trying to break free. _Oh God. Not again. _But he wanted her . . . they _both _wanted her.

Ziva, her gaze locked on Tony's, caught the feral glint that indicated his wolf was close to the surface. Her own beast growled in response, answering the call.

_I have lost myself to lycanthropic rage  
__I feel the wolf inside of me  
__No more a man I am the beast is in control  
__The reign of terror have begun_

The Italian Shifter knew he was losing control even as he closed what little distance remained between them and covered her mouth with his. At the taste of her, his wolf took control, pushing her. It didn't matter to her, because her own animal was at the forefront. Tony tried to draw back, but his Lycan side was too powerful, and, to his horror, he didn't want to. _Face it, DiNozzo, you're gone._

_Bloodline deceiver this is my call  
__I am the blazing full moon  
__Bloodline deceiver I gaze from above  
__I bring the madness that makes your blood boil_

_Hearts set aflame by the spell of the full moon  
__A circle of fire that burns in the night  
__Cannot be stopped it's the curse of the werewolf  
__A child of the night that howl to the moon_

The full moon looked on coldly at the two Shifters bathed in its glow. Neither of them cared; they were too caught up in each other to notice their surroundings. It was a miracle they didn't set the grass on fire they were generating so much heat.

Tony tore himself away from Ziva long enough to breathe; then he nuzzled her neck, his teeth scraping her earlobe. A moan escaped the Israeli and she gasped out, "Tony, please . . ." She snarled with impatience when he suddenly stopped. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure . . ." That feral glint was still in their eyes, and he had sensed they were being watched . . . Then the sensation was gone and he focused on Ziva once more, only to find that she had slipped from his embrace and was grinning at him much like she had during their stint undercover last year. _Oh Lord._

_She put a spell on me!  
__The gypsy girl is laughing, she's dancing in the dark  
__Will this all be forever or will I one day be set free?_

Reading his mind, Ziva laughed and, raising his right arm, twirled underneath it. "Dance with me, Tony!"

Spellbound, he watched as she leaped and pirouetted, dancing to music only she could hear. Then she reached for his hand again and he found they were doing the Lindy. Being this close to her yet not being able to explore her was torture for Tony. "Stop teasing me," he ground out as she swung in close, her breath warm on his neck. It was all he could do to rein in his wolf to avoid making a meal of her.

_Bloodline deceiver this is my call  
__I am the blazing full moon  
__Bloodline deceiver I gaze from above  
__I bring the madness that makes your blood boil_

Finally he gave in. Either it was the fact they were so close together or the full moon was affecting him, but his blood was boiling. He had to have her. . . .

"Ziva . . ." His voice was ragged, even more so than normal. The tone made her human side finally push back the wolf and control her lupine instincts. She started to ask what was wrong when his mouth was on hers once more, even more forceful than before. Instead of backing off, she returned his kiss, heat pooling through her. It was enough to warm her even though they were outside in cool weather.

Before she knew what was happening, she was down on the ground with Tony leaning over her. His green eyes had darkened with desire, lust, and the lupine was there, too.

_Hearts set aflame by the spell of the full moon  
__A circle of fire that burns in the night  
__Cannot be stopped it's the curse of the werewolf  
__A child of the night that howl to the moon_

"What do you—"

"Ziva, I want to make love to you. Would you let—"

_Oh, come on. Just do it. _Her hands were reaching for his clothes before he'd finished the question.

The moon, shining high above, just shone icy, pale light over them. It did not pass judgment.

_Hear the beckon of the bloodline calling  
__Hear the calling of the blood inside of you_

_Hear the beckon of the bloodline calling  
__Hear the calling of the blood inside of you_

_Hear the beckon of the bloodline calling  
__Hear the calling of the blood inside of you_

_Hear the beckon of the bloodline calling  
__Hear the calling of the blood inside of you_

* * *

Track Five: Dancing in the Moonlight

CIA Agent Trent Kort—who happened to be a Shifter—glanced suspiciously at his Russian colleague and mate. "What—exactly—are we doing out in the woods in the middle of the night?"

Meghan Volkov shrugged then grinned. Her hazel-green eyes danced with mischief and her reddish-brown hair curled in waves over her shoulders, flowing out behind her as she broke into a jog. "Come on and you'll see," she called over her shoulder.

With a sigh, Kort followed her. He had a feeling he was going to regret this.

So when they emerged from the dark trees into a moonlit clearing, he was surprised to find Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo there. The two NCIS Shifters looked as stunned as he felt.

"What's going on?" he asked nobody in particular.

DiNozzo shrugged while Meghan and Ziva glanced up at the round, white moon then at each other. Slow, easy smiles spread across their faces and each took her mate by the arm, dragging them into the center of the clearing.

_We get it on most every night  
__When that moon is big and bright  
__It's a supernatural delight  
__Everybody was dancing in the moonlight_

"What do you think you're doing?" Tony asked Ziva.

"I second that," Kort told Meghan.

"Dancing, of course," the Israeli replied, placing one of the senior field agent's hands on her waist, the other on her opposite shoulder. "You do know how to dance, don't you?" She started swaying, her hands mirroring the position Tony's were in.

Kort gulped. He hated dancing. Tough, secretive, _Men in Black _CIA agents like him just _did not _dance. But Meghan just gave him puppy dog eyes and, sighing, he allowed her to take the lead. She grinned wickedly and fished her iPod out of her pocket. Turning it up to full blast, she selected a slow song—but it wasn't _too _slow. Rather, it was one that started out slow and then sped up.

_Everybody here is out of sight  
__They don't bark and they don't bite  
__They keep things loose they keep it light  
__Everybody's dancing in the moonlight_

The four Shifters seemed to meld together in the moonlight. They wouldn't bark and didn't bite unless it was necessary—or if they were wolves—and sometimes not even then.

Glancing around, Ziva thought an outsider would think they were out of—sight?—or that they'd gone loco, dancing in the moonlight like this.

_Dancing in the moonlight  
__Everybody's feeling warm and bright  
__It's such a fine and natural sight  
__Everybody's dancing in the moonlight_

A smiling Meghan was being twirled under a very reluctant Kort's arm while Tony and Ziva were dancing to—"Love is a Battlefield"?—on Tony's iPod. Typical. What else would those two listen to while letting loose? It was a surprisingly warm night for November, and besides, coats would hinder their movements.

_We like our fun and we never fight  
__You can't dance and stay uptight  
__It's a supernatural delight  
__Everybody was dancing in the moonlight_

Although Meghan was having fun, she nevertheless noticed that Kort was stiff. She asked, "What is it?" as she leaned in close.

"I don't dance," was his reply.

"You have been," she pointed out wryly. "It's impossible to stay uptight while dancing, you know." This close to him, she was incredibly aware of his scent filling her nose. Volkov whirled away, changing songs on her iPod to something by Bon Jovi. _"Shot through the heart and you're to blame. Darlin', you give love a bad name . . ."_

The British CIA Shifter backed up fast. Glancing over, DiNozzo and David had to stifle snickers. The sight was just too funny. Of course, Kort, with his sharp hearing, picked up on it and swung toward them, a growl in his throat.

All movement stopped as Ziva stepped forward, fists clenched, head up, clearly issuing a challenge.

Tony whispered in Meghan's ear, "I'm betting on Ziva."

"Kort's gonna kick her—"

"Need I remind you she's a ninja assassin?"

"Good point." Suddenly tired of "You Give Love a Bad Name," she switched songs to "Dancing in the Moonlight."

"No, put it on 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot,'" Tony advised.

"That works." Seconds later, the opening chords of the Pat Benatar classic split the night.

The two Shifters in the middle of the clearing stopped and stared at Tony and Meghan. Ziva snapped, "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Tony retorted, flashing his infamous DiNozzo grin. Neither he nor Volkov made any move to turn off the music. Ziva snarled with frustration and lashed out. Kort countered the blow but it wasn't long before he was knocked out cold.

"Told you," the NCIS senior field agent crowed.

"Well, you have to give him points for holding out as long as he did."

"She did hit him with her best shot. Consider him fired away."

"True. Now let's go home."

It took maybe five to ten minutes for them to trek back. They could have traveled faster in wolf form, but it was too risky if a Static happened to be in the woods.

Once Tony and Ziva were in DiNozzo's Mustang and Volkov and Kort were in the British agent's car, they pulled out. DiNozzo turned on the radio, which, coincidentally, was on a soft rock station. Also coincidentally, a familiar song was playing.

_Everybody here is out of sight  
__They don't bark and they don't bite  
__They keep things loose they keep things light  
__Everybody was dancing in the moonlight_

_Everybody's dancing in the moonlight  
__Everybody's feeling warm and bright  
__It's such a fine and natural sight  
__Everybody's dancing in the moonlight_

_Everybody's dancing in the moonlight  
__Everybody's feeling warm and bright  
__It's such a fine and natural sight  
__Everybody's dancing in the moonlight_

_Dancing in the moonlight  
__Everybody's feeling warm and bright  
__It's such a fine and natural sight  
__Everybody's dancing in the moonlight_

While the song faded out, Ziva glanced at Tony. "Remind me why we _weren't _playing _this _song."

He shrugged. "Beats me."

* * *

Track Six: Golden Eyes

_A shadow in the bright bazaar  
__A glimpse of eyes where none should shine  
__A glimpse of eyes translucent gold  
__And slitted against the sun  
__This the clue and this the sign  
__That sets him on his quarry's line  
__But she had seen him in a dream  
__And now she's on the run_

Ziva David walked along the streets of her neighborhood. It was stifling hot this summer even for D.C., and although she was in shorts and a white T-shirt, she was sweating. She consoled herself with the thought that it would be even hotter in her . . . other coat.

A shadow flashed at the edge of her vision. Whirling faster than humanly possible, the Israeli caught a glimpse of eyes where none should shine. The eyes were green-gray in color and looked familiar . . . Ziva narrowed her own eyes, using her keen vision to see the face they belonged to. She'd seen them before, she was sure. Maybe in a dream?

Then she saw who the figure was and froze, her body going into the fight-or-flight response.

Tony DiNozzo followed her with his eyes. Although they'd been working together in recent months after Kate Todd's death, she was a mystery to him. As the sun was in his eyes, he narrowed them to slits. There was a clue here and a sign there that alerted him to what she really was. He wondered briefly how he hadn't seen the predatory grace with which she moved earlier. Tony stepped forward, set on his quarry's line.

That was all it took to send Ziva on the run.

_Faster than a thought she flees  
__And seeks the jungle's sheltering trees  
__But he is steady on her track  
__And half a breath behind_

Adrenaline pounded through her veins as she fled. Her arms pumped at her sides, her feet flying over the ground as she sought the sheltering trees of the nearby forest. Ziva knew she'd be safe there.

DiNozzo, her partner on Gibbs's team at NCIS, was on her track and half a breath behind. _How can he be that fast? _She thought. _There's no way a Static can be that quick! _Even so, she forced herself to run faster and she finally entered the welcoming trees.

_She tastes his scent upon the breeze  
__And looking past her shoulder sees_  
_He treads upon her shadow_  
_She fears the hunter's mind_

A sudden tailwind brought his scent wafting towards the Israeli. Ziva glanced back over her shoulder only to see that Tony was treading upon her shadow—a shadow that constantly changed positions, running in-between trees. What had her battling fear was the look of the hunter in his eyes and that his SIG was drawn. He wouldn't really shoot her, right? The paperwork involved alone would make anyone shrink from the idea.

_So now she summons all her wit_  
_And every trick she knows to hide_  
_To make him loose the twisting track_  
_To throw him off her trail_

Summoning all her wit and skills she'd learned from the Mossad, Ziva dodged to the side, leaping _through _a tree that had split in the middle. The gap was too small for her partner to follow her through and she dashed away, making as little noise as possible as she weaved in a zigzag pattern through the green trees. Leaves and twigs snapped in her face and scraped her legs, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to throw him off her trail.

At last she slowed to a walk, carefully scenting the air for Tony. Relief crashed through her like a tidal wave when she didn't scent him. There was one other trick she could use—one that she'd vowed to herself that she wouldn't use unless absolutely necessary.

Ziva removed her clothes after checking that she was alone and concentrated. With a powerful shimmer, she was a dark brown—almost black—wolf with brown eyes.

_In woman form in leopard hide_  
_Folding leaping side to side_  
_She doubles back along her track_  
_And sees her efforts fail_

Wolf-Ziva turned around and doubled back along the track she'd made. Although she was closer to the ground in this form, she still had to leap side to side occasionally to avoid brush or anything else in her path. _I hate skunks._

There was still no sign of the NCIS agent who'd followed her and she increased her pace until she was galloping along the trail. She was almost there . . .

Ziva erupted out of the undergrowth to where she'd entered the woods, only to see that her efforts had failed.

_He stands before her, dark and grim_  
_Her terror now she can't suppress_  
_He blocks the only pathway out_  
_And will not let her by_

Tony stood before her, a dark look in his green-gray eyes. He didn't look at all surprised to find out that she was a Shifter, but his hand tightened reflexively on the SIG at his hip.

Ziva found that she couldn't suppress her terror. He was blocking the only way out and she knew instinctively that the senior field agent would not let her pass him.

_Her gold flanks heaving in distress_  
_Half woman and half leopardess_  
_To eye the side, no where to hide_  
_It's time to fight or die_

Her brown flanks were heaving in her distress. Ziva's eyes flitted side to side, searching for an escape route. There was nowhere to hide.

A low growl in her throat, Ziva fastened her gaze on Tony and tensed. She would fight to the death if she had to.

_But what is this, to her amaze_  
_The man has thrown his gun away_  
_And quietly draws near her now_  
_A smile upon his face_

Then, to her amazement, Tony released his gun from its holster and threw it on the ground to the side. Her hackles raised and she backed away nervously. Was this a trick?

"Take it easy, Ziva," he murmured. "I'm not going to hurt you." DiNozzo was drawing nearer to her, a smile on his face. But it wasn't a predatory smile, it was a knowing one.

_Before she thinks to run or stay_  
_His body blurs like soften clay_  
_Before her eyes to her surprise_  
_A leopard in his place_

_What is he—?_

Before she could even think about running away, Tony had shed his clothes. To her surprise, his form blurred, the now-familiar sign of a transformation. There, where her partner had been seconds before, was a brown wolf with green-gray eyes.

_Tony? _Her thought was incredulous.

_Yeah, it's me_, he replied. _I'm surprised it took you this long to find out I'm a Shifter. Now come on. Let's hunt._

Before she could decide what to do, he took off and her paws raced after him, seemingly of their own accord.

They ran side-by-side through the woods without fear that they could be stopped or caught. Even if they were seen, it was a sight no one would forget.

_The hunter they have sought in vain_  
_And now the talk of the bazaar_  
_Is of the canny leopard pair_  
_A sight none will forget_  
_Who once has seen them near or far_  
_In sunlight or where shadows are_  
_And side-by-side they hunt and hide_  
_No one has caught them yet_

* * *

Track Seven: In Walks the Night

_The night is falling like an angel on your memory  
__And we are well acquainted, we are sworn enemies  
__And the lonely beating of my heart tonight  
__Is only one more thing I gotta fight_

NCIS Shifter Ziva David paced in her darkening apartment. Normally she loved the night, but it was a new moon tonight and ever since Somalia . . . She slammed her eyes closed, refusing to think about what had happened in Africa, where her father had left her for dead. Her mate, Tony DiNozzo, was usually there to comfort her, but he was on a case. So the lonely beating of her heart tonight was only one more thing she had to fight.

_I can handle this_, Ziva thought to herself. She'd survived Somalia, after all, and worse things.

_Well I think about you baby  
__The days of heaven that we had  
__Then I get to thinking maybe  
__Maybe too much thinking's bad_

In the gathering darkness, her thoughts turned to Tony, remembering all the good times they'd had together. She'd been surprised to find him there in the room where she'd been held captive. He'd been cut, his face was dirty and caked with sweat, but she'd never been more glad to see him. Their fateful conversation floated through her head now: _"Tony! Why are you here?"_

_"Couldn't live without you, I guess."_

_Ziva, stop_, she scolded herself. _You're thinking too much, and maybe . . .maybe too much thinking isn't good for you right now._

_Well my mind takes no prisoners, pities no one  
__Spares not even me till the harm is done  
__Here I go again, the night just walked in_

_In walks the night, in walks my fantasy  
__Darkness all around me  
__And I'm dying for the light  
__I reach down for a little strength deep inside_

Now that she'd started reliving Somalia, though, the flashbacks wouldn't stop.

She'd been beaten, raped, tortured. As a Shifter, she could heal in wolf form due to rapid cell rejuvenation. However, she hadn't been able to shift because all of her captors were Statics. If she _did _shift—and that would have been very hard while she was bound and unable to remove her clothing—it would mean certain death. While she would be able to heal, Saleem and the various others would have probably viewed her as an unholy creature and killed her without caring that she hadn't given them the information they wanted.

Well, her mind certainly wasn't taking any prisoners. Suddenly Ziva felt hemmed in by darkness. It seemed as if the night had entered her home—literally and metaphorically. She landed on her bed and sat there, curled up into a ball. Seeking a little strength, she tapped into her animalistic side. The power of the wolf coursing through her made Ziva feel better, but not by much.

_Well I know I love my freedom  
__But lonely feelings come and go  
__And night time is a season  
__How I feel the cold wind blow_

Loneliness swamped the Israeli for the second time that night, but Ziva quickly shook it off. She loved the freedom of living alone, and besides, Tony, Gibbs, McGee, Abby, and Ducky were always there for her.

The Mossad liaison officer took a shaky breath, savoring the smells of the night. Nighttime was a season all its own: varying degrees of temperature; wind; the phases of the moon, which held more power than humans realized.

She'd left a window or two open, and now a cold wind whipped through her bedroom, ruffling her brown-black hair. Ziva shivered and wormed her way under the covers.

_And I toss and I turn and I walk the floor  
__I don't wanna cry, don't wanna cry no more  
__Here I go again, the night just walked in_

Sleep wouldn't come. Ziva tossed and turned, refusing to think about anything. But the flashbacks kept coming, and a lone tear slid down her left cheek, followed by another. Her inner wolf let out a mournful howl. Ziva finally gave up trying to sleep and started pacing once more. She furiously wiped her eyes; she didn't want to cry anymore. _Here I go again,_ she thought wryly. _The night just walked in._

_In walks the night, in walks my fantasy  
__Darkness all around me  
__And I'm dying for the light  
__I reach down for a little strength deep inside  
__(In walks the night)_

Trapped in memories, she found herself longing for the light. _Where the — is Tony? _she thought. Ziva couldn't take the darkness of her memories anymore. What had happened to her earlier resolve of handling this?

_I reach down for my sanity  
__Oh if only those eyes could see  
__Through all the emptiness I found around me  
__In walks the night_

Without really thinking about it, she shifted forms. In wolf form, she was still Ziva, but the wolf's instincts were in her head as well. Right now she needed the strength of the wolf as she tried to hold on to her sanity. To be honest, she was slightly surprised it had taken the PTSD several months to kick in. Now, though, she was hoping her co-workers could see—despite everything she'd gone through—she was as strong as ever. But it was so, so hard, and at the moment she felt so _empty_ . . .

_I can almost feel you in the darkness all around  
__Still I'm waiting for the break of day  
__Waiting for a miracle, a dream that won't wander away_

A low whine in her throat, the dark brown she-wolf dropped to the floor and curled up in a ball, her tail resting across her snout. Reaching out with her mind, she found DiNozzo at HQ. She didn't say anything, just checked that he was safe and withdrew. Now that she'd mentally checked up on Tony, she felt somewhat comforted. Ziva could almost feel his presence in the darkness all around her while she waited for daybreak, hoping for the flashbacks to end. At last, she drifted into a troubled sleep, a sleep often interrupted by her starting awake with a yelp.

_Well my mind takes no prisoners, pities no one  
__It spares not even me till the harm is done  
__Here I go again, the night just walked in  
_

_In walks the night, in walks my fantasy  
__Darkness all around me  
__And I'm dying for the light  
__I reach down for a little strength deep inside  
__(In walks the night)_

The door to her apartment opened and she was able make out Tony's human form by scent and hearing. Half-awake, she tried to scramble to her paws, but her tired muscles only made her flop to the floor. She growled softly, and DiNozzo, hearing the sound, walked into her room.

Seeing Ziva curled up on the floor, Tony hurried to her side and knelt down. He asked, "Zi, what's wrong?" as he buried a hand in her fur.

Her whine became a low moan as she shifted back into human form. Now Tony's hands were digging into her skin; he quickly wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. She could hear him breathe deeply as he took in her scent.

"It's Somalia, isn't it?" Tony's voice was soft, full of concern, and gentle.

"Yes," Ziva replied; her voice was no more than a whisper. "Just hold me, Tony. Please."

His warm arms gripped tighter, leaving her nestled in the curve of his body. Gradually the fear vanished, and Ziva thought maybe—just maybe—she would be all right. She had to be.

_I reach down for my sanity  
__Oh if only those eyes could see  
__Through all the emptiness I found around me  
__In walks the night  
__The night just walked in  
__In walks the night  
__The night just walked in  
__Maybe I'll be all right  
__In walks the night_

* * *

Track Eight: Nothin' at All

_I would walk home every evening  
__Through the pyramids of light  
__I would feed myself on silence  
__Wash it down with empty nights_

Amber streetlights cast a glow on the Israeli as she strolled down the streets of her neighborhood. Ziva, the Mossad liaison with NCIS, held her head high, enjoying the coolness of the evening. She wasn't afraid of any human dangers. If someone attacked her, she could easily dispose of them without having to shift into wolf form.

She made it into her apartment and shrugged out of her coat, suddenly aware of the silence and loneliness she felt. If Ziva had taken a mate by now she wouldn't have these lonely nights, but she enjoyed being single.

_Then your innocent distractions  
__Hit me so hard  
__My emotional reaction  
__Caught me off guard_

Exiting the elevator the next morning at NCIS headquarters, Ziva found her gaze immediately drawn to Tony DiNozzo. Like her, he was a Shifter, capable of becoming a wolf at will. Right now he was teasing the probie, Tim McGee, by throwing wads of paper at him. Ziva didn't know why she felt such a rush of affection for the senior field agent. Her emotional reaction to Tony's antics caught her off guard.

_It was nothing at all  
__Like anything I had felt before  
__And it was nothing at all  
__Like I thought no it's so much more  
__No one else has ever made  
__Me feel this way  
__When I asked you how you did it  
__You just say  
__It was nothing at all_

The Israeli Shifter had never been really serious with anyone before. Due to her genetic makeup, she just didn't find Statics all that sexy. Good-looking, maybe, but not her type. _Good God, if Tony finds out about that . . ._

Well, there was no reason why he should. Ziva tried to convince herself of that as she entered the bullpen. Leaning over Tony's desk, she said in a low, throaty voice, "You having fun, Tony?"

Startled, he jumped and let fly. The wad of paper hit McGee on the head, causing the already ticked-off probie to leap out of his chair in DiNozzo's direction. Tony dodged easily and McGee hit the floor. With a smirk in Ziva's direction, the Italian Shifter answered, "Oh, yes, Zee-vah."

"How many times have I told you two to keep it out of the office?" Gibbs said as he strode in, cup of coffee in hand. The two Shifters sprang apart, giving Gibbs a clear view of McGee. He frowned. "McGee, what are you _doing_?"

Flustered, the probie scrambled to his feet. "Nothin, Boss."

"Hhmm." The former Marine turned and went to his desk. Sitting down at the much-hated computer, he ordered, "Back to work!"

"Yes, Boss!" the team chorused. Ziva returned to writing up her notes on the Phoebe Madison case that they were currently investigating. Try as hard as she might, she just couldn't concentrate. She was all too aware of Tony working across from her. Ziva risked a glance upward and saw that his moss-green gaze was trained on her. The resulting emotional onslaught was nothing like she'd felt before. Catching his eye—which wasn't difficult—she jerked her head in the direction of the staircase. He gave a barely imperceptible nod and followed as she headed for their more-often-than-not meeting place. Although to her, it seemed as if they held most of their impromptu meetings in the men's restroom.

"What do you want, Zi?" Tony asked once they were alone and Gibbs and McGee couldn't overhear them.

_You, _corny as it was popped into her head. She quickly shoved the thought aside. "Tony, how do you do it?"

"Do what?" He tilted his head, a perplexed expression on his face.

Ziva gave a low growl of frustration before she was able to reply with, "Make me feel this way."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but a smile crept slowly across his face. "Oh, it's nothing at all. Ziva, if it's your wolf—"

"Tony, to be honest, I'm not sure if it's _both _of us. We'll just have to put this on hold until the case is closed."

She could see his chest heave as he took a deep breath. "Okay. If that's what you want." He was gone and back at his desk within seconds. Watching him leave, Ziva wasn't sure if she _could _hold out. The pull that alerted her to the fact she'd found her mate was nothing like she'd thought it would be. No, it was so much more.

_Now I walk home every evening  
__And my feet are quick to move  
__Cause I know my destination  
__Is a warm and waiting you_

It wasn't long before the case was closed, and the day after Halloween, Ziva drove home, trying to fight the rising anticipation. Suddenly her peripheral vision picked up a familiar figure and she pulled over. Not surprisingly, Tony was on the sidewalk, leaning in the doorway of the bar they frequented. She stepped out and joined him.

"Hi, Zi," Tony greeted her.

"Shalom."

"You wanna join me?" he asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the bar door.

The Israeli Shifter tilted her head and studied him. After a few heartbeats she said, "No, I have a better idea."

"What?"

"You want to take a walk with me?"

DiNozzo's eyes lit up. "Of course."

"Good," she said before turning and walking away. With a playful growl, Tony chased after her.

_From our first communication  
__It was clear  
__Any thought of moderation  
__Would soon disappear_

The door to her apartment opened, sending a laughing Tony and Ziva tripping over themselves and onto the floor. Ziva scrambled to her feet and tried to run away, but Tony, quick as thought, reached out and snagged one of her feet, sending the Israeli crashing to the floor once again.

A low growl rumbled in her throat. "Tony, you're gonna pay for this!"

"Oh, I don't think so," he murmured low, flipping her over. Ziva could feel her heartbeat speeding up, knew he could hear it. Already she was afraid her scent was laced with passion, with desire. Trying to fight it off, she snarled, "Get off! At least let me move so you can be more . . . comfortable, yes?"

A wicked smile crept across his face. "I like the sound of that."

Well, both of them had known any signs of moderation would disappear just from their first conversation.

_It was nothing at all  
__Like anything I had felt before  
__And it was nothing at all  
__Like I thought no it's so much more  
__No one else has ever made  
__Me feel this way  
__When I asked you how you did it  
__You just say  
__It was nothing at all_

Lying in bed a half hour or so later with Tony beside her, Ziva felt content. Being with him brought feelings that she'd never really felt before. When she was younger, she'd heard about the connection between mates, but to experience it for herself . . . it was so much more than what she'd thought it would be.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Tony's warm hand snaked around her bare waist. Surprised, Ziva tensed and turned over so she was facing him.

His green-gray eyes sparkled. "Well, glad to see you're still with me. Can you believe Director Shepard is making us see a shrink?"

Ziva chuckled softly. "No, not really, but I can see why." She paused. "Tony, you know no one else has ever made me feel this way."

"Considering the whole mate-for-life thing, I would hope not," he replied. He drew her closer to him. "Now, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. How do you do the things you do on cases and not get in trouble for it?"

Her mate grinned. "It's nothing at all. And it helps that Gibbs likes me. However, enough serious talk."

_Then your innocent distractions  
__Hit me so hard  
__My emotional reaction  
__Caught me off guard_

Before Ziva could react, his warm lips pressed against the soft skin of her throat. Heat flooded her body and she released a soft moan. The she-wolf wasn't sure why his distractions were hitting her so hard, but she didn't care. Running her hands over his body, she pulled him closer, the torrent of emotions running through her letting down her guard. She wanted him now, and she was sure he knew it. When Gibbs found out about their relationship, hopefully he wouldn't kill them.

_It was nothing at all  
__Like anything I had felt before  
__And it was nothing at all  
__Like I thought no it's so much more  
__No one else has ever made  
__Me feel this way  
__When I asked you how you did it  
__You just say  
__It was nothing at all_

_Like anything I felt before  
__It was nothing at all  
__No it was nothing at all  
__Nothing at all_

* * *

Track Nine: Notorious

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Well there's a lone wolf out on the prowl tonight  
__I'm lurkin' in the shadows always out of sight  
__I said little girl don't you hesitate 'cause you're usin' live bait  
__Señorita, solitaire, you got a certain kind of savior faire_

Cloaked in shadows, the brown wolf crouched down, his green-gray eyes—human eyes—fixed on the street. Lifting his muzzle to the air, he took a deep breath, filtering all the scents that hit his nose. Finding the one he was looking for, he began prowling out of the alleyway and slunk along the sidewalk, trying to appear as doglike as possible, given that he was a large wolf.

He caught sight of his quarry moments later: a very pretty Israeli woman with tan skin, long brown-black hair, and a body with generous curves that she knew how to use as a formidable weapon. She was even more deadly as a PO'd wolf.

Currently she was walking the streets, working undercover as a hustler. The case she was working involved a dead petty officer who'd had a side hob as a hooker. Team Gibbs suspected she'd been murdered by one of her clients, and their only lead was the car used, a black '87 Trans Am. Anyway, what Ziva was wearing left very little to the wolf's imagination.

_Come on, Zi, _he thought at the undercover NCIS probationary agent—who also happened to be his mate. _Surely you're not hesitating just because you're using live bait._

_Oh, drip it, Tony_, she replied in kind.

_Do you mean "drop it" or "zip it"?_

_American idioms drive me up the hall!_

_Up the wall, _the wolf—NCIS Special Agent Tony DiNozzo—corrected automatically. He returned to the cover of the shadows and lay stretched out, resting his head on his forepaws. Part of his job was to keep a lookout, but he was also enjoying the view. _That _wasn't so wrong, was it?

_'Cause you're notorious  
__(Notorious)  
__Everything you want everything you need  
__'Cause you're notorious  
__(Notorious)  
__Every mother's nightmare every schoolboy's dream_

Keeping his head still, he tracked Ziva's trail with his eyes. Thankfully, no one else had noticed the large wolf lurking in the shadows. Tony was hoping it would stay that way.

As for mixing business with pleasure, well, it wasn't his fault that his mate was practically every schoolboy's dream. Realizing he was drooling, Tony quickly wiped his muzzle with a forepaw. If Ziva was reading his mind right now . . . he'd be in for it. Banishing the haunting images, DiNozzo tried to focus on the cars, searching for one that matched their description.

_Tony . . ._ Ziva warned.

_Hey, you have everything you need, Sweetcheeks, _he replied.

_Just get your mind out of the gutter! Keep a lookout for trouble._

_What do you think I've been doing?_

She made a frustrated noise that was half growl, half scream. _You know what I meant! Do you really want to die?_

The threat finally made Tony rethink any smart comments. Deciding he rather liked life, he fell silent and resumed his duties, this time sitting up, tail wrapped neatly around his paws.

_Everybody by name every trick in the book  
__And everywhere she goes she gets those dirty looks  
__I said little girl don't you hesitate 'cause you're usin' live bait  
__Señorita, solitaire, you got a certain kind of savoir faire_

Ziva continued pacing, ignoring the dirty looks some of the other hookers were giving her. Tony, who'd stuck his head around the corner, drew his lips back in the beginnings of a snarl. Okay, Ziva was a Shifter as well as a deadly former Mossad assassin, and she _did _look good, but she shouldn't—in his mind, anyway—be on the receiving end of those dirty glares. 'Sides, she had a certain kind of savoir faire when it came to undercover work.

_'Cause you're notorious  
__(Notorious)  
__Everything you want everything you need  
__'Cause you're notorious  
__(Notorious)  
__Every mother's nightmare every schoolboy's dream_

Tony rose from his sitting position, slunk back to where he'd stashed his clothes, and shifted. With a quick, shimmering blink, he was human again. Dressing in a tight black T-shirt, jeans, and the leather jacket he'd bought ages ago, he walked out of the alley and sauntered towards the fine-looking ladies that worked this block. He had only eyes for one, and when he reached her, he laid a hand on her shoulder. He murmured, "You got anything?"

"No," Ziva replied, his voice low. Tony knew she didn't want to risk anyone overhearing them. "I haven't seen a car that matches our description. Besides, Tony, these girls are hustlers. They don't reveal much."

DiNozzo briefly flashed his infamous grin. "Oh really? Just because you're a notorious ninja assassin and are totally uncomfortable in this sort of situation—"

"Shut up. And remove your hand from my arm unless you wish to run on three paws."

He quickly snatched his hand back. _Geez, you're every mother's nightmare._

"I heard that."

_Crap._

"Thanks for the compliment. Now get back to your position."

_Lock me up  
__I want to be your prisoner  
__Lock me up  
__I want to be your slave_

Tony gave a crooked smile. "Why would I when I can—" His hands reached out, began exploring her.

Ziva slapped his hands away and hissed, "What's wrong with you? We're on duty! And in public!"

It wasn't really his fault if he didn't mind being her prisoner or slave. Truth be told, he'd be quite happy if she locked him up in a preferably dark room—with her inside . . .

Suddenly, they were no longer on the streets. Instead, they were in his apartment, lights down low. From what he could tell, time had passed, but Tony wasn't sure how much.

A noise to his right made him look over. Ziva, still in her undercover clothes, was _right there_. For the first time, he wondered if he was dreaming.

_Little girl don't you hesitate 'cause you're usin' live bait_  
_Señorita, solitaire, you got a certain kind of savoir faire_

_'Cause you're notorious_  
_(Notorious)_  
_Everything you want everything you need_  
_'Cause you're notorious_  
_(Notorious)_  
_Every mother's nightmare every schoolboy's dream_

"Tony. _Tony. _TONY!"

The senior field agent snapped awake. "Huh? Whazzgoin' on?" His bleary eyes took in Ziva, who was standing in front of his desk, dressed in black jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt. Apparently, they were in the bullpen.

"You fell asleep," the Israeli Shifter explained. "It took me forever to wake you."

His brain was still foggy. Remembering how she'd looked in his dream, he gave her a slow once-over.

Ziva's brown eyes narrowed. "I don't even want to— Oh, chomp me!" Her dark eyes widened and she quickly retreated. Obviously, she'd read his mind.

"Bite me," he corrected automatically. "And I really can't help it, s_eñorita_."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "Then next time, dampen your thoughts. _Please_."

"Oh, he will," Gibbs said as he walked in. "Gear up. We have a missing petty officer who has a side job as a hooker. I want her found. Car description, according to witnesses, is a black '87 Trans Am." He grabbed his gun and shield, and stopped when he saw Tony, Ziva, and Tim staring at him. "What?"

DiNozzo couldn't help remembering his dream. He swallowed hard, took a quick look at Ziva, and immediately relaxed. Keeping in step with her, he joined the team leader. "Coming, Boss." The Ziva in his dream was staying in his head for some odd reason. Then again, this was DiNozzo, so it wasn't _that _unusual.

_'Cause you're notorious_  
_(Notorious)_  
_Everything I want everything I need_  
_'Cause you're notorious_  
_(Notorious)_  
_Every mother's nightmare every schoolboy's dream_

With her, Tony had everything he wanted and needed. Glancing at Ziva once more when the whole team was in the elevator, he could picture her working undercover on this one quite easily. With her being an exotic beauty and all . . .

_DiNozzo? _she thought at him.

_Yeah? _he replied.

_Don't even think about it._

After that warning, he tried not to.

Much.

_Every schoolboy's dream, oh yeah  
Lock me up_

* * *

Track Ten: Renegade

_Oh mama I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law  
__Lawman has put an end to my running and I'm so far from my home  
__Oh mama I can hear your crying, you're so scared and all alone  
__Hangman is coming down from the gallows and I don't have very long_

The two wolves crept through the undergrowth, occasionally shooting furtive, worried looks over their shoulders before pressing on. There was no way these two would allow themselves to be captured by evil scientists just so said bad guys could study them. They may have been in wolf form now, but before shifting they were Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David, a NCIS Special Agent and the NCIS-Mossad liaison.

Ziva swiveled her ears back as she heard the sound of someone moving through the woods after them. Two someones, actually. The wind was blowing their scent toward her and Tony, and she recognized them as belonging to Jeanne Bentoit, Tony's ex-girlfriend, and Chris Nixon, who'd been a suspect in a murder investigation back in October, a few weeks ago.

_Haul tail! s_he ordered, abandoning their creeping position for a full-out run.

_I think the expression is "haul hoof," _DiNozzo said.

_Oh, whatever Just shut up and run!_

Heartbeats later, she felt Tony's pelt brushing hers as he matched her stride for stride. He said, _Uh, if we're being chased by total nutcases who want to see if we can actually turn into wolves, then what are we doing running away from them in wolf form?_

_Well, they didn't see us shift in or out of either form, did they? _Ziva countered. _No, they did not._

_What about our clothes? _Tony asked as he weaved through trees and jumped over a fallen log in his path.

_I think one of our lairs is nearby. Besides, we can always circle back and grab them. Now move faster. If they're coming after us, we don't have very long._

_I'm running as fast as I can, _Tony complained, trying to force his flying paws to move faster. _Don't you think this would be easier in human form?_

_No._

_I'm sorry I asked. Why does this remind me of those old werewolf movies?_

Ziva just bared her teeth and growled. _Shut up. They're on our six._

_The jig is up, the news is out, they finally found me  
__The renegade who had it made retrieved for a bounty  
__Never more to go astray  
__This will be the end today of the wanted man_

Suddenly Tony skidded to a halt. _I don't think they're behind us anymore. _

A few feet in front of him was Nixon, pointing a gun straight at Tony's head. An evil smirk was on the blond man's face, and his shaggy hair looked as if it hadn't been combed in at least a few days. Somehow, the senior field agent knew the Glock contained silver, the one weapon to which they were vulnerable.

_"The jig is up, the news is out, they finally found me," _he sang in his head.

_DiNozzo, what do you think you're doing?_ Ziva snapped, her neck fur rising as she stared Chris down.

_Haven't you ever heard the song "Renegade"?_

_Now I have._

"All right, you two," their resident maniac said, "shift back. Now. Otherwise . . ." He fired a warning shot into the ground, right between the two Shifters.

_No way. He's gotten better at handling a gun, though, _Tony said. _I'll give him that._

_I'm not shifting back either. What do you say we at least try to act like real wolves?_

_And a real wolf would want to avoid the crazy gun with the gun._

_Right._

_Okay. I'm all for that. If we don't pull this off, then it'll be the end of the wanted NCIS Shifters._

_Quit quoting that song! _Ziva snapped. _Now come on. _She starting slinking to the side, belly low to the ground. When Nixon turned the gun on her, Tony saw his chance and pounced, his heavy weight sending the man sprawling on the ground. Not checking to be sure he was okay, the brown-furred wolves took off once more, running for their lives.

_Oh mama I've been years on the lam and had a high price on my head_  
_Lawman said get him dead or alive now it's for sure he'll see me dead_  
_Dear mama I can hear your crying, you're so scared and all alone_  
_Hangman is coming down from the gallows and I don't have very long_

Ever since that insane case they'd handled around Halloween, Chris and Jeanne had been obsessed with capturing a Shifter. Luckily for them, they already knew—or suspected—two. This was highly unlucky for Tony and Ziva, having the stress of their job mixed in with this new threat. The evil "scientists" wanted the two mates alive, but now—for sure—the NCIS Shifters were wanted dead.

Crashing through the woods, Tony could swear he heard Gibbs. The team leader was saying something along the lines of, _You call that distance running? Move it, DiNozzo! I don't want to lose my senior agent. You have any idea how much paperwork that causes?_

_Hey, we don't have a whole lot of time, Boss._

There was no reply. Gibbs—or his apparition—had vanished.

Pausing a moment to catch his breath, Tony took the opportunity to scent the air and listen for their pursuers. The forest was silent, and he couldn't smell Chris or Jeanne. He thought at Ziva, _I think we're safe._

The Mossad liaison halted and loped back the way they'd come. Tony followed, grumbling under his breath. _I hate when she does that._

Fifteen minutes later, the two were in human form and dressed. Tony allowed himself to relax slightly as his Mustang and Ziva's red Mini Cooper came into sight.

He shouldn't have let his guard down.

_The jig is up, the news is out, they finally found me_  
_The renegade who had it made retrieved for a bounty_  
_Never more to go astray_  
_The judge'll have revenge today on the wanted man_

Something hard hit the back of his head. The force of the blow left him stunned but not unconscious. Tony quickly shook off the sensation and whirled. Beside him, Ziva had already gone into ninja mode, easily reducing her assailant to a crumpled heap on the floor. Somehow, the senior agent wasn't surprised to find it was Chris, which meant that Jeanne had been the one to attack him.

_Geez, all this effort for the two of us._ Aloud, he said, "I guess saying 'the jig is up' would be a little redundant."

Jeanne's green eyes blazed and she swung. Tony ducked and—as much as he didn't want to—easily landed a solid punch on the ER doc's jaw, sending her sprawling. Then he bolted for his 'Stang and pulled out, tires screeching. Ziva's car was hot on his tail.

_Oh mama I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law_  
_Hangman is coming down from the gallows and I don't have very long_

For the third time that day, both Shifters found themselves in fear for their life. Their enemies were coming closer, which didn't leave Tony and Ziva a whole lot of time.

_The jig is up the news is out they finally found me_  
_The renegade who had it made retrieved for a bounty_  
_Never more to go astray_  
_This'll be the end today of the wanted man, the wanted man_

_I don't want to go_  
_No, no, no, no_

_Oh mama don't let him take me_  
_Oh no, oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no_

In what seemed like minutes, but was actually an hour, they pulled up in front of NCIS HQ. When the elevator doors opened, Ziva and Tony practically spilled onto the office floor, they were fighting each other so hard in their eagerness to escape from the close confinement. As a result, they were tangled up in each other. Only the curious stares from other agents made them swiftly untangle themselves and stand up.

Gibbs was in front of them almost at once. The team leader demanded, "What are you two doing?"

"Boss," Tony gasped out, "Nixon and Jeanne almost had us. I'd appreciate it if you didn't let them take us."

He felt the familiar stab of pain as Gibbs slapped him upside the head. "Of course not, DiNozzo. Now, all of you"—he fixed everyone else with the infamous Gibbs Glare—"back to work!"

"Yes, Special Agent Gibbs," they said in unison.

"Thanks, Gibbs," Ziva said when every other agent was busy.

"Don't mention it," Abby's silver-haired fox said with a half-smile.

* * *

Track Eleven: Shadows of the Night

_We're running with the shadows of the night  
__So baby take my hand it'll be all right  
__Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
__They'll come true in the end_

Ziva's lungs burned for air and her leg muscles were on fire, but she didn't stop running, her arms pumping at her sides to grant her even faster speed. Beside her, Tony also ran for his life through the shadows of the night. The Israeli Shifter slowed her breakneck pace slightly, her hand grasping for that of her mate. Every so often she glanced back at the black-clad forms chasing her and Tony. When the ghouls had first appeared, her first reaction had been, _My God, they're ninjas, _quickly followed by _Run!_

Okay, maybe not. But whatever was chasing them was pretty scary.

She felt Tony's hand squeeze hers, as if to say it would be all right. Ziva found she wanted to believe him, hoping that prediction would be true.

_You said—oh girl, it's a cold world  
__When you keep it all to yourself  
__I said you can't hide on the inside  
__All the pain you've ever felt  
__Ransom my heart but baby don't look back  
__'Cause we got nobody else_

A narrow side trail caught her eye and Ziva veered towards it, Tony being yanked after her. They were pushed together in the cramped space, so close their breath mingled. Tense heartbeats ticked by as the group passed their hiding place.

When she was sure they were gone, Ziva wiggled past Tony and started walking down the path. DiNozzo jogged after her. He commented, "You know, it's a cold world when you keep your thoughts and all to yourself."

She kicked his calf. "Well, you can't hide all the pain you've ever felt, Tony." Ziva would have said more, but her ears had picked up the sound of pounding footsteps. She ordered, "Run. Don't look back." Then the two Shifters were sprinting again.

_We're running with the shadows of the night  
__So baby take my hand, it'll be all right  
__Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
__They'll come true in the end_

The night shadows seemed to shift and move with them, although that was probably Ziva's imagination. Her hand accidentally brushed Tony's and a warm feeling like and electric shock rushed up her arm. She tried to shake off the feeling, and her foot tripped over a branch lying across the path. Ziva stumbled and almost fell, but caught herself. At Tony's concerned look, she barked, "I'm fine. Keep going." To prove it, she started running again, acutely aware of where DiNozzo was at any given moment.

Finally, though, they had to rest. Shifters were blessed with incredible stamina but not even they could run nonstop at a full-out sprint.

_You know that sometimes it feels like  
__It's all moving way too fast  
__Use every alibi and words you deny  
__That love ain't meant to last  
__You can cry tough baby, it's all right  
__You can let me down easy but not tonight_

Drawing in a gulp of air, Ziva managed to gasp out, "Isn't Gibbs' place around here somewhere?"

"Yeah," Tony replied. "I think it's a block over and down one. Just let me catch my breath first. Everything's moving way too fast."

The Israeli murmured agreement.

These two could use every word available to deny love wasn't meant to last, according what had happened to McGee whenever he tried dating, but then again, there was that whole mate-for-life thing.

Sensing her mate was on verge of a panic attack, Ziva snapped, "Hey, you can let me down easy but not tonight. If you do, I'll rip out your throat."

Tony shot her a goofy smile. "No you won't. You looove me."

"You've been taking painkillers, haven't you?"

Since the ridiculous smile remained on his face, she assumed he had. Well, this was just great. There was nothing worse than Tony hopped up on painkillers.

_We're running with the shadows of the night  
__So baby take my hand it'll be all right  
__Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
__They'll come true in the end_

_We're running with the shadows of the night  
__So baby take my hand it'll be all right  
__Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
__They'll come true in the end_

_And now the hands of time are standing still  
__Midnight__ angel won't you say you will_

A low howl spiraled through the night, sending the hairs on the back of Ziva's neck prickling. Time slowed, almost as if its hands were standing still. Neither she nor Tony could move.

Someone shaking her shoulder made her snap awake. The room swam before her eyes for a moment; then she saw Tony in front of her, concern in his green-gray eyes. He asked, "Are you okay, Zi?"

"Wha— Oh, yes, I'm fine. I just fell asleep, Tony." It took her a few seconds to realize she was on the couch in her living room. The TV screen was showing the ending credits to a movie. "How long have I been out?"

"Well, you fell asleep halfway through the movie," he replied, moss-green eyes lighting with a mischievous look.

_Oh no. He better not have— _Ziva glanced down, relieved to find everything was normal. Frowning, she punched him in the stomach.

DiNozzo doubled over, wincing. "What was that for?"

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

"Got it."

"Good. I'm going back to sleep." With that, she drifted off, a small smile forming as warmth from Tony's body heat wrapped around her.

_We're running with the shadows of the night  
__So baby take my hand it'll be all right  
__Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
__They'll come true in the end_

* * *

Track Twelve: She Wolf

_S.O.S she's in disguise  
__S.O.S she's in disguise  
__There's a she wolf in disguise  
__Coming out, coming out, coming out_

Ziva stretched luxuriously, her slim body curving as she raised her arms over her head. A faint smile lifted her lips as she flicked her gaze to the round, silver moon floating outside the window before resting her eyes on her mate, Tony. He was hidden in shadows, but he could feel his eyes—the color of Spanish moss, a delicate shade that hovered between green and gray—on hers. She could feel her inner wolf stirring, ready to emerge.

_A domesticated girl, that's all you ask of me  
__Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy  
__The moon's awake now with eyes wide open  
__My body's craving so feed the hungry_

All Tony wanted in a woman was one who understood him. Ziva certainly did, more so than the other women he'd dated. Now that they were mates—which didn't necessarily mean they were married, mind you—he sort of expected her to be domesticated.

Yeah, right.

Ziva's skin suddenly felt even more sensitive. All her senses were on edge, even more so than normal. It was one of the perks of being a Shifter, but lycanthropy was no joke. Especially not when you had psychos chasing after you.

She shoved away the memories of said psychos and took a step towards Tony, not feeling at all like herself. The full moon was calling to her beast even as her body was craving for his touch.

Tony's gaze traveled over her slowly, raw with hunger. It took the slightest invitation for him to kiss her—although _kiss _was too tame a word.

_I've been devoting myself to you Monday to Monday and Friday to Friday  
__Not getting enough retribution or decent incentives to keep me at it  
__I'm starting to feel just a little abused like a coffee machine in an office  
__So I'm gonna go somewhere cozy to get me a lover  
__And tell you all about it_

Ziva was starting to feel light-headed from the lack of oxygen. She was gone, completely lost as his large hands roamed over her, moving her closer. She gave a warning growl as Tony's mouth left hers and he nipped at her neck. Needing to breathe, she stepped back, trying to regain some control over herself. Blaming her actions on her wolf wouldn't work, because she wanted him too.

"Ziva . . ." Tony began, taking a half-step toward her.

She snarled. "Back off!"

Puzzled, he did. "Why?"

The Israeli didn't answer. Instead, she removed her clothes and shifted, wanting to run, to be anywhere but in a cramped building. Ziva slunk out the open door and made it onto the streets without being seen by any Statics. The dark brown she-wolf took off at a brisk trot, loving the sights, sounds, and feel of the city. It was such a contrast of where she'd been born and raised.

_There's a she wolf in your closet  
__Open up and set her free  
__There's a she wolf in the closet  
__Let it out so it can breathe_

Ziva picked up the pace, going into a lope and then a gallop, enjoying the feel of the wind in her fur. Sometimes she just needed to open up and let her wolf run free.

Eventually, though, she had to return to her mate. Huffing, she turned around and began heading back. As she'd know he would be, Tony was waiting for her.

_Sitting at a bar, staring right at her prey  
__It's going well so far, she's gonna get her way  
__Nocturnal creatures are not so prudent  
__The moon's my teacher and I'm her student  
_

The next night the team was hangin out at a bar after closing their latest case. Ziva was sitting on a barstool sipping her drink . . . and unable to take her gaze off Tony.

"Hey. Ziva."

"What?" The Shifter looked at Abby.

"You gonna sit here staring at Tony, or are you gonna do something about it?" the Gothic forensic scientist prompted.

"Oh gag," McGee muttered.

Abby glared and smacked the probie upside the head. While Tim was nursing his wound, Abby shot Ziva an encouraging look. Sighing, the Israeli joined Tony, who looked up when he sensed her presence. A smile slowly eased across his face.

"Hi, Zi. You want anything?"

_Yeah. I think you know what. _Since bonded mates could read each other's thoughts at any time, she knew he could hear her.

Tony's smile broadened and he rested one of his hands over hers, stroking her with his thumb. Ziva's skin grew unbearably hot, but she didn't move away. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, wanting more than that. Drawing back, she invited, "What do you say we go back to my place, hmm?"

The Italian Shifter's eyes had darkened, she noticed. Next thing she knew, they were walking past Gibbs, Ducky, Palmer, McGee, and Abby and were out the door.

Well, being nocturnal creatures, the moon had power over them, was their teacher, and they her students.

_To locate the single men I got me a special radar  
__And the fire department hotline in case I get in trouble later  
__Not looking for cute little divas or rich city guys that just want to enjoy  
__But having a very good time and behave very bad in the arms of a boy_

The door to her apartment had barely closed before they were on each other. Ziva broke off mouth-to-mouth contact, only to taste the warm skin of Tony's neck, feeling his pulse accelerate. Her own heart was beating in double time.

She wasn't even done yet.

His hands were already exploring her even as she began moving in the direction of the bedroom. Once there . . . well, he did things to her she'd only read about, bring both the woman and the wolf out of her so many times, easily.

Even afterward, she wasn't able to sleep.

_There's a she wolf in the closet  
__Open up and set her free  
__There's a she wolf in the closet  
__Let it out so it can breathe_

Her wolf was still feeling restless. It needed to "breathe," so to speak.

_Quiet you, _Ziva ordered her lupine. Hoping to settle it, she breathed deeply, taking Tony's scent into her lungs. As she'd hoped, her beast relaxed. It was so late already, it was incredibly easy to fall asleep.

_S.O.S she's in disguise  
__S.O.S she's in disguise  
__There's a she wolf in disguise  
__Coming out, coming out, coming out_

In her dream, she was sprinting through dark, mist-filled woods with something chasing after her. Her wolf instincts took over and she began stripping on the run. She concentrated, leaped into the air. When she landed, she was in her wolf form. Terrified, she ran even faster, her claws digging into the earth and leaf mulch as she propelled herself forward.

One of her paws struck a rock and she crashed to the ground. Her pursuer was soon on her before she could rise, eyes glowing, its form shadowy, claws and teeth sharp. Its claws jabbed into her and she howled with pain. . . .

Ziva's eyes snapped open and her breath came in deep gasps. Tony's arm, draped over her waist, tightened around her as if he sensed her distress. She breathed in his comforting smell, letting it calm her. This time, as she drifted beneath the black wave, there were no dreams—well, no nightmares, anyway.

_S.O.S she's in disguise  
__S.O.S she's in disguise  
__There's a she wolf in disguise  
__Coming out, coming out, coming out_

_There's a she wolf in your closet  
__Let it out so it can breathe_

* * *

Track Thirteen: Still of the Night

_In the still of the night_  
_I hear the wolf howl, honey_  
_Sniffing around your door_  
_In the still of the night_  
_I hear my heart beating heavy_  
_Telling me I gotta have more_

Tony paced, feeling restless, his claws making _click-click _sounds on the floor. He threw back his head and howled, a low, mournful sound.

The night sky outside was blue-black and incredibly still. Tony shifted back to human form and dressed, but he could feel his wolf still howling and metaphorically sniffing around his mate's door.

At the thought of Ziva, he could feel his heartbeat accelerate, telling him he had to have more of Ziva David than just thoughts.

_In the shadow of the night  
__I see the full moon rise  
__Telling me what's in store  
__My heart start aching  
__My body start shaking  
__And I can't take no more_

_No, no_

Pale, silver moonlight shone through his window. Looking out at the night sky, Tony could see the full moon rising. Ziva's face flashed in his mind. His body started shaking uncontrollably, heart aching. DiNozzo knew he couldn't take any more. He had to see her.

_Now I just wanna get close to you  
__And taste your love so sweet  
__And I just wanna make love to you  
__Feel your body heat_

_In the still of the night  
__In the still of the night  
__Over here, baby_

Minutes later, he was knocking on Ziva's apartment door. It opened and he was gazing at her: her beautiful skin, toned body, silken hair . . .

"Yes, Tony?" she asked.

"Can I come in?"

She stepped back, inviting him inside. The door shut behind both Shifters and locked automatically. Tony heard the faint _click_, but he couldn't tear his gaze from her. All he wanted was to get close to her . . .

"Tony, why are you here?"

Ziva's voice snapped him out of his fevered thoughts. He moved closer, put his hands on her. "I think you know," he murmured before moving in for a kiss.

Her hands came up, pushing him away. "Tony, I . . ."

"Please, Zi. I just wanna get close to you; taste your love so sweet. . . ."

Ziva's brown eyes narrowed. "That's a movie quote."

"No, a song quote. You know, 'Still of the Night.' "

"I _really _don't like that song."

He could smell the lie. "Did you know that when a person lies, the scent of their skin changes?" he asked casually.

She raised her hand as if to slap him, but lightning-fast, he caught her hand in his, lightly pressing his lips to each fingertip. Done with that hand, he moved to her mouth before she could resist further. At the moment, he just wanted to make love to her, feel the heat of her body against his.

So they did, in the still of the night.

_In the heat of the day  
__I hang my head down low  
__And hide my face from the sun  
__Through the light of the day  
__Until the evening time  
__I'm waiting for the night to come_

_Oooh, baby_

Tony opened his eyes to bright sunlight filtering through Ziva's bedroom window. He groaned and rolled over.

Ziva was gone.

Frowning, he sat up and glanced around, only to see his mate leaning against the doorframe. She was dressed in form-fitting black pants and an olive-green shirt, the Star of David necklace she always wore glinting as it caught sunlight. Her shield was attached to her hip and a smile played on her face as she watched him.

She also had coffee and muffins.

"How long have you been up?" Tony asked, accepting the coffee mug and a blueberry muffin.

"Since six o'clock. It's seven-thirty now," Ziva replied, taking a bite of muffin.

A smile ghosted across Tony's face. "Why don't we just stay in today?"

"As tempting as that offer is"—she gave him a teasing smile—"no. Gibbs'll want us there. Besides, it's not our day off."

"Well, you can't say I didn't try." DiNozzo finished off the muffin and coffee and reached for his clothes. "Let's go then. You know how Gibbs is when we're late."

Ziva rolled her eyes and walked out, leaving him to dress in peace. Watching her, Tony found himself waiting for the night to come.

All day at work, he kept a low profile, waiting through the sunlight until evening time. He couldn't bear the heat, and besides, he had plans for tonight.

_In the still of the night  
__In the cool moonlight  
__I feel my heart is aching  
__In the still of the night_

Cool moonlight washed pale silver over the floor, casting deep shadows. The male Shifter watched as the she-wolf paced restlessly, her tan skin looking gray, her dark hair appearing to be pitch-black. She finally sat next to him on the bed, her nearness sending his body haywire.

"Ziva . . ." he began.

"What, Tony?" she flashed back.

He almost couldn't answer. Tony wanted her so bad, his heart ached.

_Ooh, baby  
__Ooh, babe  
__I can't keep away  
__Need to be closer_

He just couldn't keep away from her. The senior field agent needed to be closer to her. They were mates, true, but she was also his addiction.

_I can't keep away  
__Can't keep away  
__Can't keep away  
__I can't keep away, no_

_You gotta give me love  
__Got to give me some loving everyday  
__Can't keep away_

Tony really just couldn't keep away. It was almost physically impossible.

"You haven't answered my question, Tony," Ziva said. Her dark eyes were looking at him askance.

He swallowed hard. "You know I love you, right, Zi?"

_Ooh, baby  
__Ooh, Lord  
__Aahh_

_Tell me here, baby_

"Yes. Why are you asking?"

Tony shrugged. "Figured you needed to hear me say it. You gotta give me some loving every day in return, you know."

Her eyes glared daggers, making him add hastily, "Or not. I just can't keep away from you, Sweetcheeks."

She pantomimed shoving her fingers down her throat before smiling. "I never knew you were the romantic type, Tony."

"I would say 'Tell me here, baby' but you just did. And now . . ."

_In the still of the night_  
_I hear the wolf howl, honey  
__Sniffing around your door  
__In the still of the night_  
_I feel my heart beating heavy  
__Telling me I gotta have more_

_Ooh! Mama_

Tony leaned forward and kissed her gently. His inner wolf let out a howl, mentally sniffing around her bedroom door, searching to see if any rival wolf had encroached on his territory. Ziva returned his kiss. The heavy beating of Tony's heart against his ribcage was telling him he had to have more.

_Now I just wanna get close to you  
__And taste your love so sweet  
__And I just wanna make love to you  
__Feel your body heat_

"Zi . . ." His voice was ragged, even to him. "Let me make love to you."

If she made a response, he didn't hear it. Tony was already reaching for her shirt and drawing it over her head. He wanted to get even closer to her, taste her, feel her body heat.

All this in the still of the night.

_In the still of the night  
__Oh, yeah  
__In the still of the night  
__I will be sneaking round your door_

_In the still of the night  
__In the still of the night  
__Ain't nothing gonna stop me now_

Normally by now he would be either sneaking around her door or—if they had a late call—would be in the field. At the moment, nothing was going to stop him from taking what was his. _His._

Reading his thoughts, Ziva's eyes narrowed, and she punched him in the gut.

Okay, so maybe one thing could: his deadly ninja she-wolf.

Anything was possible in the still of the night.

_Still of the night  
__Still of the night  
__Still of the night_

_Still of the night  
__Still of the night  
__Still of the night_

_Still of the night  
__Still of the night  
__Still of the night_

* * *

Track Fourteen: The Night

_Deep in the darkness slumber_  
_Endless sleep  
__Nothing moves inside my funeral suite  
__I feel the sun slip down as hunger strikes  
__Waking like being born  
__Here comes the night_

Lengthening shadows crept into Labby, where Ziva David and Abby Scuito were sleeping after a very long, very tiring day. Brain Matter, one of Abby's favorite bands, pulsated from the speakers, although it wasn't turned up very loud, much to Ziva's relief.

She stirred slightly and opened her eyes. The setting sun sent a deep orange glow through the single window in Abby's lab. With the sun slipping down, Ziva felt a pang of hunger strike—blood-hunger. Sometimes it was hard to deny her wolf instincts. Especially now, when her already-heightened senses exploded. The Shifter took a deep breath before rising to her feet, relishing the nightfall.

_All my senses awakened  
__By bitter demons  
__Taste the human heartbeat  
__Bittersweet  
__Bittersweet_

Abby was still asleep, using Bert the Hippo as a pillow. Every time she moved, the stuffed hippo filled the air with the sound of flatulence. A corner of Ziva's mouth hitched up as she studied the Goth. She could hear Abby's heartbeats, slow and steady. Saliva flooded her jaws at the thought of a hunt. All that warm blood . . .

_No!_ Firmly, Ziva clamped down on her animalistic nature. She did not eat humans and could never eat Abby. Besides, she preferred venison or rabbit.

But it would taste so bittersweet . . .

_Oh, stop it! _the Israeli scolded herself. She'd been inside for too long; she needed fresh air.

On her way outside, she met Tony DiNozzo. The male Shifter greeted her with a smile. "Hey, Zi. You going home?"

"No, I'm going for a walk. _Alone_." She kept walking, irritation spiking when Tony fell in beside her. "Do you not know what the word 'alone' means?"

"Just let me walk with you. I need fresh air, too."

She sighed. Sometimes she could not believe Tony was her mate. He was like a big puppy most of the time. "Okay. See if you can keep up."

Even without looking at him, Ziva could tell he was grinning. She punched him in the kidney and jogged away.

_It don't take long  
__To get back in the groove  
__Sharpen up your attitude  
__Get down with the moves  
__Don't look no stranger  
__In the eye  
__Walk across some trouble baby  
__Just walk on by_

It may have been seven o'clock, but the sky was already dark. The streets were alive with people, most of whom Ziva didn't know. That didn't matter anyway. As federal agents and Shifters, they tended to give off don't-mess-with-me vibes. Not that Tony's attitude needed even more sharpening up, but the submissive Statics easily stepped out of their path.

Ziva breathed in deeply, savoring the feel of the night. Her eyes suddenly settled on three guys across the street, who weren't bothering to hide the fact they were checking her out. She eyed them warily, a slight growl in her throat.

Tony followed her gaze and placed a hand on her shoulder. He muttered, "Ignore them, Zee-vah. They're not worth the trouble. Just walk on by. Besides, they're Statics."

The growl died in her throat. "I guess. I still want to slit their throats."

"Wouldn't that be overkill?"

She shrugged. "Depends on who you ask."

"Oh."

_No tomorrow—take it right now_

_In the night I walk alone  
__In the night is where I belong  
__Take my flesh—I'll give you my soul  
__Hungry night keeps driving me on_

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Ziva was enjoying Tony's company, but she suddenly wanted to be alone.

_Don't be ridiculous. You're a creature of the night; this is where you belong._

It was true, too.

_Neon concrete jungle  
__Devour the weak, the humble  
__Hear the city nocturne  
__Makes you burn_

The Israeli Shifter glanced around, taking in all the lights and sounds of the neighborhood. Downtown was basically a concrete jungle. If you were weak, humble, it devoured you and asked questions later. No wonder all of the teenagers here grew up fast. For her wolf, it was a hunting ground, full of squirrels, rats, mice, and birds. Not so for Tony. The man hated rats, even if he'd said on the _Chimera _that he was a "regular Willard."

Ziva's ears picked up a sudden rhythm within the normal city sounds. It reminded her of that one movie—what was it called?—oh, yes, _STOMP Out Loud. _Her skin began to feel warm, almost feverish, and it only intensified when Tony slung an arm around her shoulder and drew her close.

_Oh slip on into darkness  
__Sharpen up your awareness  
__Get your seven senses working tonight_

_No tomorrow—take it right now_

At first she relaxed, loving the smell and feel of him, before wriggling out from under his grasp. If only she could slip on into darkness, into the night, away from her mate, she could sharpen up her awareness of what was around her. Tony distracted her, made it hard to do her job at times. Yes, she loved him, but . . .

"Ziva, you okay?"

She went still, the way prey does when it knows it's being watched. "Yes. I was just thinking, Tony, that's all."

"All right." The senior field agent's hand rested on her shoulder for a few seconds; then it slid down her arm and their fingers intertwined.

Well, if they lived life like there was no tomorrow, she might as well take advantage of the moment.

_In the night I walk alone  
__In the night—that's where I belong  
__Take my flesh—I'll give you my soul  
__Hungry night keeps driving me on_

By now they had walked maybe a half mile from the Navy Yard. Usually Ziva walked alone in the night—it was where she belonged, her element. She loved the night, especially when most of the MCRT's ops took place under cover of darkness. It helped that both she and Tony had the night vision of a wolf, faster reflexes, and enhanced senses, smell being the most powerful.

Almost as if she were detached from her body, she felt her hand release Tony's and trail lightly up his arm, cupping the nape of his neck. He turned his head to her, and in that moment, she kissed him, more of a nibbling than anything passionate.

_Take my flesh—I'll give you my soul_, she thought, knowing he could hear her. Ziva drew back and said, "Let's go back, Tony. I think I've had enough fresh air."

He nodded and followed as the Israeli turned and started retracing their path. After all, the night kept driving the two of them on—more notably Ziva—allowing their inner beasts to run more freely.

_No tomorrow—I take it right now_

"Race you," he said, breaking into a run.

"No fair!" Ziva retorted, also picking up speed. She easily outdistanced him, her exultant laughter floating back to Tony on a breeze of her own making.

_In the night I walk alone  
__In the night—that's where I belong  
__Take my flesh—I'll give you my soul  
__Hungry night keeps driving me on_

_In the night I walk alone  
__In the night—that's where I belong  
__Take my flesh—I'll give you my soul  
__Hungry night keeps driving me on  
__On and on_

* * *

Track Fifteen: The Wolf

Jeanne Bentoit watched in stunned disbelief from her seat in the bar as the NCIS team led by Leroy Jethro Gibbs filed in with Tony in the lead. The now-familiar fear and anger she felt whenever he was around flared up. But this was what she'd been waiting for, a chance to capture him and the Israeli who was his partner and mate. If she and Chris Nixon could take one or both of them, discover how they transformed into wolves, isolated the gene and replicated it . . . they'd be millionaires.

She kept her eyes on the NCIS agents as they took seats at a table, tearing her eyes away only when Gibbs, the team leader, jerked his head in her direction. It was as if he knew his team was being watched.

_You were born to privilege_  
_Licking on a silver spoon_  
_You think you gotta buy all your friends_  
_Just so you can tear up the room_

The brunette doctor heard McGee say, "Thanks for treating us to dinner, Tony."

"Even if it's the last time I'm letting DiNozzo take us out to eat," Gibbs mumbled into the glass of bourbon that had magically appeared in front of him.

Jeanne still couldn't believe that the man she'd known as Tony DiNardo was actually a NCIS agent—and that he wasn't even human. Well, she'd found out that he was a werewolf before Chris told her Tony was a Fed, but still. Eyeing him, she thought, _You just have to buy all your friends so you can tear up the room._

The Israeli sitting beside Tony caught Jeanne's eye. Her name was Ziva, she remembered. Eyes narrowed, Ziva's hand rested on the knife she always carried. The whole team carried knives on them, following Rule #9: Never go anywhere without a knife. It was one of Gibbs' rules that had come in handy in a number of situations.

Ziva noticed with satisfaction that Jeanne quickly averted her gaze. Leaning in toward Tony and Gibbs, she whispered, "We're being watched."

_But your kind is a dime a dozen_  
_I've seen it all before_  
_A parasite in a good disguise_  
_Just another wolf at the door_

"No, really?" Gibbs said in a voice rich with sarcasm.

Tony tensed. "By who?"

Ziva jerked her chin slightly in Jeanne's direction, watching Tony's moss-green eyes widen. The senior field agent turned back and hissed, "What's _she_ doing here?"

Ziva shrugged. "She knows what we are, and our healing properties _are _miraculous."

"What a coincidence," Tony muttered.

"Don't believe in 'em," said Gibbs.

McGee, meanwhile, was chowing down on bread someone had left out, completely oblivious to his teammates' concern.

Back at her table, Jeanne stirred her drink almost lazily with a straw. She kept her glances brief, but even those lingered on the two werewolves. Those two may look human, act human, but it was just a good disguise for the beast harboring within. When it came down to it, Tony and Ziva were just wolves at the door.

_The wolf_  
_Prowling in the nighttime_  
_The wolf_  
_Howling in the moonshine_  
_The wolf_  
_Gives you what you want but he ain't no friend of mine_

True, they'd saved her when she'd been attacked in an alleyway by some thugs, but they'd been in wolf form at the time. Whenever she closed her eyes and tried to picture Tony—which was _not _often—all she saw was a brown wolf with green-gray eyes with its jaws locked on a human throat. Back when they'd been dating, he'd given her what she wanted, but now he was no friend of hers. She'd told Chris as much.

Suddenly all she wanted was to be away from the NCIS team. Jeanne gathered up her coat and purse, paid for her drink, and left, feeling the team's eyes on her as she passed.

It was such a relief to be out of there.

Ziva watched Jeanne leave with interest. She leaned in toward Tony as if they were about to get cozy and whispered, "You think we should follow her?"

He thought about it, then shook his head. "Nah. I didn't smell her partner-in-crime anywhere. She probably just came in here for supper, like us."

"Rule Number Eight," Gibbs muttered.

"Never screw over your partner?" Tony wondered

"I thought it was 'There are two ways to follow someone: first way—they never notice you; second way—they only notice you."

"No, that's Rule Number Forty-Four, I think."

"Rule Eight is 'Never take anything for granted." That was the Bossman, of course.

"Oh," was all the two Shifters had to say on the subject. Then their food came—steaks and fries all the way around—though none of them could remember ordering.

"Maybe I'm dreaming," Tony mused. "If I hold out my hand for a Coke . . ." He curled his hand around an imaginary Coca-Cola bottle. There was nothing there. "Huh. So much for that theory."

"DiNozzo, just shut up and eat," Gibbs ordered as he was in the process of cutting out a bite-sized piece of steak.

"Yes, Boss." Much to Ziva's relief, Tony shut up and started eating. She dug in, too; her wolf instincts were craving meat.

_You lay it on oh so sweet_  
_Just like that bad cologne_  
_You're just smilin' tooth and nail_  
_Got to make your presence known_

After dinner, Tony rose and extended a hand to Ziva. With a jerk of his head toward the live band playing, he asked, "May I have this dance?"

Ziva smiled, took the hand being offered, and allowed him to lead her out onto the makeshift dance floor. For a while they just swayed to the slow tune; then at a faster song, DiNozzo broke into the most ridiculous dance moves imaginable, rotating around her in an attempt to make her laugh. She couldn't hold back the chuckle and Tony's face split into a smile. He just had to make his presence known to everyone in the room.

This time, Ziva was the one to smile as Gibbs slapped the senior agent upside the head. "If I ever see you dance like that again, DiNozzo, my boot will be so far up your—"

"I get the idea, Boss," Tony said quickly.

"Good." The team leader returned to his seat. When Tony was sure Gibbs was out of eye- and earshot, he winced, rubbed the spot where he'd been slapped, and whispered, "Do you think shifting can cure brain damage?"

Ziva shrugged. "If it could, you would've been healed by now."

"Good point." Her mate smiled, and she had to put on her best ninja Mossad face. Was it her imagination, or were his teeth pointed?

_But you are only a lonely hunter_  
_Some things you can't disguise_  
_Just to look in the hallway mirror_  
_Now it's howling in your eyes_

Suddenly she just wanted to be away from him. Ziva wriggled out of his embrace and with a quick excuse of, "Need fresh air," walked away. She'd made it to a mirror-lined hallway—_What kind of bar has those?_—before she became aware of someone following her. A familiar scent flooded over her, so she knew who it was before she caught sight of him in one of the hallway mirrors.

"What are you doing, Tony?"

The senior agent came up behind her, bringing his arms around her, his breath warm on her neck. "What do you think?" he asked, nuzzling her.

Ziva went cold all over. Her skin suddenly felt clammy, and when she caught a reflection of her mate's expression in the mirror, it was all she could do not to shift right then and there. True, they were lone wolves, but there were some aspects of their wild nature that they couldn't disguise. Looking in one of the mirrors, she could see Tony's lust for her—and his wolf—howling in his green-gray eyes.

_The wolf_  
_Prowling in the nighttime_  
_The wolf_  
_Howling in the moonshine_  
_The wolf_  
_Gives you what you want but he ain't no friend of mine_

Where were Gibbs and McGee? Why hadn't they come to help her? But then, they wouldn't expect one partner to harm another. Especially not a bonded pair, though McGee had no clue about their world.

Her fear bordering on panic, Ziva relaxed her human mind and allowed her wolf instincts to take over. She swiftly elbowed Tony in the gut and was out in the streets before he could so much as blink in surprise.

Taking a deep breath of cool night air, Ziva forced herself to stay at a fast walk when her body was screaming at her to run. Normally she loved traveling in wolf form: prowling in the nighttime, howling in the moonshine, running through the woods with Tony at her side. But now her mate—and the wolf—were no longer friendly.

_Silent slick and stealthy_  
_Slinking through your evil nights_  
_You can see in the dark they tell me_  
_The daylight burns your eyes_

Jeanne whipped around at the sound of a slamming door and was surprised to see Ziva David walking fast, her body language conveying tension and fear.

_Now what's that about? _she wondered as she watched the Israeli from the intersection on the opposite side of the street. Then she saw Tony heading after her. _Ah. Could there possibly be trouble in paradise? _

The two NCIS werewolves were coming closer and with a flash, she remembered Chris had told her they had a wolf's keen night vision. Silently she slipped away, leaving Tony and Ziva to slink through their evil nights per their usual style, which was to say silent, slick and stealthy.

_I know you're trying to track me down now_  
_You're right on my trail_  
_You thinking you're going for the big big game_  
_But you're just chasing your own tail_

Ziva caught Tony's scent behind her and she looked back over her shoulder to see how close he was. Thankfully, he was a few yards away. Even without her keen senses, she'd known he was tracking her down.

And now he was right on her trail.

She had to distract him, confuse him. Immediately she dismissed the idea. Nothing could distract a wolf once it had found a scent trail; she knew that from personal experience.

Her fear mounting, the Israeli Shifter broke into a jog, which quickly became a run. Her footsteps were silent, but Tony's would be too. The need to be stealthy was bred into them; how else could they survive if they ever needed to hunt or move fast to avoid danger?

Maybe if she could double back . . . Yes.

It wasn't long before she'd given her mate the slip and ducked back inside the bar. Ziva rejoined Gibbs and McGee. The silver-haired fox was on yet another bourbon, while the probie was working on what appeared to be yet another L.J. Tibbs novel.

Smirking, Ziva leaned in close and whispered in Tim's ear, "If you ever publish that, I will kill you."

McGee jumped. "Ziva! Don't do that! Hey, where'd you go?"

"I just needed some fresh air."

"And Tony?"

"He's chasing his own tail." Well, it was what he deserved for thinking he was going for big game.

And for scaring her out of her wits.

_The wolf_  
_Prowling in the nighttime_  
_The wolf_  
_Howling in the moonshine_  
_The wolf_  
_Gives you what you want but he ain't no friend of mine_

* * *

Track Sixteen: Thriller

_It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark_  
_Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart_  
_You try to scream, but terror takes the sound before you make it_  
_You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes_  
_You're paralyzed_

Timothy McGee walked down the dark street in his neighborhood. It was almost midnight, so there was hardly anyone out and about. He'd been working on his next book when he'd felt a need for fresh air. Hence the reason he was outside on a cool night, streetlights and moonlight allowing him to see clearly. Well, as clearly as a human could.

McGee paused as he heard familiar voices coming from an alley to the right. _What are Tony and Ziva doing here? _he thought. Curious, he looked around the corner in time to see his two co-workers . . . removing their clothes? _What the— _Tim's heart almost stopped as his friends' forms shimmered and changed. In their places were wolves, one with green-gray eyes, one with eyes that were the shade of hot fudge, and both with brown fur. A scream bubbled up in his throat, but no sound came out, he was that terrified.

The wolf that had been Tony DiNozzo suddenly stilled and swung his head toward McGee, a rumbling growl issuing from between bared teeth.

McGee froze. He was paralyzed.

_God help me. I don't want to be food for a couple of werewolves._

And that strangely human gaze was looking at him right between the eyes, as if it was searching his soul.

_'Cause this is thriller, thriller night_  
_And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike_  
_You know it's thriller, thriller night_  
_You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight, yeah, ooh_

The probie finally broke free of the strange lock on his limbs and booked it to the end of the street, hearing the rapid patter of pawsteps as the two wolves—Tony and Ziva—chased after him. It wasn't long before he was out of breath, him being as out of shape as he was.

McGee glanced back over his shoulder and a thrill of horror crept down his spine. Ziva was right on his heels, jaws snapping. There was no way he could escape, and no one was going to save him from the beasts about to eat him alive. Tim was basically left fighting for his life.

_You hear the door slam, and you realize there's nowhere left to run_  
_You feel the cold hand, and you wonder if you'd ever see the sun_  
_You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination, girl_  
_But all the while, you hear a creature creepin' up behind_  
_You're out of time_

The probie forced his legs to move faster, and he turned onto a road that led to a creepy-looking old house. The windows had jagged holes, window shutters falling off, and the wood was warped and moldy, looking in some places as though the floorboards had fallen through, leaving the appearance of missing teeth. Nevertheless, McGee sprinted inside, hoping he'd be safe from the two werewolves prowling around outside.

The door slammed shut behind him. Tim heard paws scrabbling at the door, and he realized with dread that there was nowhere left to run. He was trapped, with hungry wolves trying to reach him. Was it his imagination, or was the room suddenly colder?

Wood splintered and cracked, forming a hole wide enough for a large wolf. McGee watched in horror as Tony and Ziva, still wolves, crawled through the gap they'd made, teeth shining and eyes flashing in the weak moonlight that spilled through the broken windows in the dust-filled room. Thom E. Gemcity hoped this was just his imagination, but he knew he wasn't dreaming.

And he was out of time.

_God, help me, please, _Tim begged.

_'Cause this is thriller, thriller night_  
_There ain't no second chance against the thing with forty eyes, girl_  
_Thriller, thriller night_  
_You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight_

Well, tonight certainly was a thriller. Now that McGee thought about it, this would be great for his book.

He changed his mind as Tony snapped at his ankle. McGee scrambled onto a rickety wooden table. It balanced precariously, and the boards groaned under his weight. Tim squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his groping hand wrap around a large, sharp object. Opening one eye to a slit, he saw it was made of silver. Weren't werewolves affected by it?

But these were his teammates, his friends. He couldn't hurt them. And their eyes—human eyes—followed his every move with sharp intelligence. He could see Ziva in the brown and the immature playfulness that was Tony in the green. Swallowing hard, the probie prepared to fight for his life.

_Night creatures call_  
_And the dead start to walk in their masquerade_  
_There's no escapin' the jaws of the alien this time_  
_(They're open wide)_  
_This is the end of your life_

Ziva sent a reproachful look at the medium-brown wolf. McGee could've sworn a mental conversation passed between them. DiNozzo gave a low bark, but the brown-black she-wolf silenced him with a howl that resonated throughout the house. The probie had a vague recollection that a wolf's howl could be heard from miles away.

Glancing out the window, Tim saw two more wolves—one a reddish-brown, the other black with white paws—loping up the street.

_Oh, crap. _He just knew this was the end of his life.

_They're out to get you, there's demon's close to the inn on every side  
__They will possess you unless you change that number on your dial  
__Now is the time for you and I to cuddle close together, yeah  
__All through the night I'll save you from the terror on the screen_

Within a minute, the two other wolves were with Tony and Ziva. Tim suspected he knew who they were, too: CIA agents Trent Kort and Meghan Volkov.

All four wolves formed a circle around him, closing in on every side. They inched closer . . . closer . . . McGee tensed, expecting at any moment for them to sink their teeth into his flesh.

But they didn't. Almost as if there was an unspoken signal passing between them, Tony, Ziva, and the two other wolves turned around and squeezed through the ragged hole the senior field agent had made.

Relieved, Tim collapsed on the floor, taking in deep gulps of air. He'd give them a few more minutes to clear the area before he headed home. After this night, all he wanted was sleep.

-oOo-

It took Tony and Ziva maybe fifteen minutes to reach the Israeli's apartment by traveling in wolf form. Once inside, they shifted forms and dressed in the clothes they'd retrieved from the alley.

DiNozzo collapsed onto the couch, laughter bubbling up in his throat. "Oh, geez, that was great. Did you see the look on McGeek's face? We scared him half to death."

Ziva plopped down next to him and frowned. "I don't think it was that hysterical, Tony. Besides, now he knows what we are."

Tony waved her concerns aside. "When he wakes up, he'll think it was just a bad dream. It was just dumb luck that Kort and Volkov were nearby and heard your howl."

"I guess you're right." Ziva still didn't sound convinced, but she reached for the remote anyway and turned on the TV. One of the channels was having a horror movie marathon and _Invasion of the Body Snatchers _was just ending. Ziva shivered and snuggled up against her mate.

His arms came around her, holding her close. The next movie, _The Night of the Living Dead, _came on, but Ziva distracted herself by scenting DiNozzo.

"You know," he said, "I'll save you from the terrors on the screen. Besides, zombies don't exist."

"That's what people think about Shifters," she muttered into the crook of Tony's neck.

He decided to let that one slide and held her closer.

_I'll make you see that this is thriller, thriller night  
__Girl, I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try_  
_Thriller, thriller night  
__So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller, chiller_  
_Thriller here tonight_

Tony, his eyes on the TV screen, yelped when he felt Ziva nip the skin on his neck. "Watch it! Remember, Shifter bites take longer to heal and they scar."

"I know," she answered, her voice muffled. The sensation of her tongue on his neck distracted Tony from the movie and he turned to his mate. Well, he could thrill her more than any ghoul could ever dare try. He'd make her see that tonight was certainly a thriller—in more ways than one.

_'Cause this is thriller, thriller night_  
_Girl, I can thrill you more than any ghoul could ever dare try  
__Thriller, thriller night  
__So let me hold you tight and share a killer thriller, ow!_

_I'm gonna be here tonight_

Abandoning all pretense of watching _Night of the Living Dead, _Tony began kissing Ziva back. When they came up for air, he suggested, "How about we move this elsewhere?"

Ziva shook her head and locked her arms around his neck, holding him in place as she kissed him again. Tony tightened his hold on her, deepening the kiss.

Whatever else happened, he was going to be there for her tonight. They were mates. Bonded for life.

**_Darkness falls across the land  
_****_The _****_midnight_****_ hour is close at hand  
_****_Creatures crawl in search of blood  
_****_To terrorize y'all's neighborhood_**

McGee slammed his apartment door shut, locked it, and gave a huge sigh of relief before going to his record player. He picked out a record, set it on the turntable, and started playing said record. It wasn't until Tim was sitting down at his typewriter that he realized Vincent Price was beginning the rap in "Thriller."

Keys clacking, he began typing up an account of what had happened to him that night using his alter-ego, Agent McGregor. His character was being followed by creatures crawling in search of blood, ready to terrorize the neighborhood as the midnight hour was close at hand. McGee's blood went cold at the next verse.

**_And whosoever shall be found  
_****_Without the soul for getting down  
_****_Must stand and face the hounds of hell  
_****_And rot inside a corpse's shell_**

Motivated by the song and his own experience, Thom E. Gemcity kept typing. He wasn't sure if his publisher was going to accept this, but Abby would love it.

Speaking of Abby . . .

Hearing the soft tread of footsteps behind him, McGee turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin.

_I'm gonna be here tonight  
__I'm gonna be here tonight_  
_I'm gonna be here tonight  
__I'm gonna be here tonight_  
_Oh darlin' thriller night_

The Gothic forensic scientist stood right behind him.

"Gah!" Recovering a second later, the author rested a hand over his pounding heart. "Abby, how did you get in here?"

"I picked the lock," she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh." McGee belatedly realized that made sense. "Uh, what are you doing here?"

"What, can't I just drop by to see you, Timmy?" Then Abby noticed the song playing. "Oh, cool! I love 'Thriller'!"

McGee grimaced. "Not after the night I've had, believe me."

**_The foulest stenches in the air  
_****_The funk of forty thousand years  
_****_And grizzly ghouls from every tomb  
_****_Are closing in to seal your doom_**

At that, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled in horror.

**_And though you fight to stay alive  
_****_Your body starts to shiver  
_****_For no mere mortal can resist  
_****_The evil of the thriller_**

McGee went as white as a ghost at the evil laugh that followed. Seeing his blood-drained face, Abby went over to him and wrapped her arms over his neck, looking over his shoulder at what was on the typewriter. "What happened, Timmy?"

"You're never going to believe this, but Tony and Ziva are werewolves."

"Oh, really?" she purred, breath warm on his neck. "Sweet! That's so cool! So, do they go full wolf or what?"

"Full wolf, but the eyes remain human." Turning, McGee saw her smiling and thought he saw elongated canine teeth.

But that had to be his imagination.

Right?

* * *

Track Seventeen: Voodoo Doll

_You haunt my room in the dead of night_  
_I see your face in firelight_  
_Your hungry kiss, I can't forget_  
_But I won't give it to you yet_

The she-wolf bolted upright in bed, breath coming in short, harsh gasps. She quickly checked to make sure her arms, legs, and body were covered with skin, not fur. For a moment, Ziva thought someone was in the room with her, but she scented nothing when she sniffed the air.

An image of Tony, her partner at NCIS, flashed into her mind, along with the memory of Abby's friend's Halloween party earlier that night. Groaning, she banished the haunting images, but it seemed as if he was right there. He was always there.

The Shifter suddenly felt cold, and she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. She pushed the covers back, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and padded into her living room. Ziva, once inside, turned on the gas fireplace and curled up on the couch, wrapping herself in a blanket. The Israeli started absent-mindedly into the flames, enjoying the heat, trying to warm up.

Sparks flew, and the yellow-orange tongues danced and writhed, reaching higher one second, lower the next. Sometimes, she thought she saw Tony's face. Like her, he was a Shifter. Both of them could transform into wolves, but some of their kind shifted into other animal forms. She blinked, and the illusion was gone.

The heat from the fire was making her drowsy, allowing memories to drift to the surface. She and Tony were standing in a clearing, the full moon serving as a spotlight. Sounds from the party drifted down toward them, so faint that even with her keen wolf senses she could barely hear them. They had closed a troubling case, made a good collar—albeit a slightly messy one—and it was Halloween. She should have been happy, but one of the culprits was still at large—and he knew of their kind's existence. Ziva had tilted her head up to look at her partner, and the next thing she knew, his mouth was covering hers, hungry and wild.

Now, curled up by the fire, Ziva shivered with the memory. There was no way she could forget his hungry kiss, especially not when the wildness inside her was determined to have its way.

Okay, she'd had feelings for him for some time now, but Ziva was still set on not giving herself over to him—not yet, anyway.

_You got moves, make a good girl sweat_  
_You won't catch me in your net_  
_You work your magic on my blues_  
_But I'm no slave for you to use_

She knew he was a player: he was never with a date for more than a week, but as far as she knew, Tony had never been serious with anyone. Briefly she wondered what his moves were like, then immediately chastised herself. From what she knew about Jeanne, the ER doctor Tony had been seeing, it hadn't taken long for him to make the _good girl _sweat.

At the image of the two of them in bed, Ziva's wolf bristled and snapped her jaws. She instantly suppressed the jealous feeling. The Israeli Shifter was not going to be caught in Tony's net as one of his conquests.

The rapping at her door made her stiffen. She called out, "Who is it?"

"Ziva, it's Tony. Open up. Please."

_Go away_, she growled, but went to the door and opened it anyway. He stepped in, and the door swung shut behind him.

"Tony, what are you doing here? It's three in the morning!"

"Couldn't sleep."

"So you come here?"

He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "I wanted to see if you were okay—about earlier tonight, I mean. Anyway, what are you doing up?"

"Same as you. I could not sleep."

A smile twitched at his lips. "Any particular reason why?"

"It's nothing I'm going to tell you." She cast her eyes down to the floor, then flicked them over to the fire.

His hand reached out and tenderly rested on her cheek before sliding down to cup her chin, forcing her to look at him. Ziva gave a warning growl, but Tony ignored it. If anything, he looked amused.

"I'm not your slave," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Maybe not," Tony said, "but I chose you to be my mate. Aren't you going to accept me?"

_I won't beg and I won't crawl_  
_I won't be your voodoo doll_  
_Baby I won't be your voodoo doll_

"I'm not going to beg and crawl, Tony." Ziva sighed. "Yes, I accept you as my mate, but I won't be your—how do you say?—voodoo doll." She gave him a pretty good imitation of the Gibbs Stare. No one could do it as well as the Bossman, though, so Tony wasn't all that impressed.

"Of course," he said, but she could tell it was more by rote than anything else. Tony stepped even closer, forcing her to tilt her head back even more to look at him. Tiny tremors raced through her, and try as hard as she could, she couldn't quite ignore them.

_You're stirring up a potion of colors, you making me crazy  
__You got something I can't leave alone  
__Shaking me, making me tremble, you calling me baby  
__Heaven help me turn my heart to stone  
__Yeah, yeah, yeah_

The hand that held her chin started tracing lines up her jawline and down her neck, igniting the sensitive skin there into hot sparks, not unlike those in the still-burning fireplace. Tony was certainly experienced, but then, so was she.

Colors swam before her eyes, a dizzying mixture of yellow, red, and others. Her heart beat faster with the knowledge he was stirring up emotions to make her crazy.

Ziva, still looking deep into the Italian Shifter's eyes, shivered as she saw that his eyes had heated and his lips were mere centimeters from her own. Remembering the hungry kiss they'd shared earlier that night, she trembled a little, her mouth parting slightly. The wolf inside her growled throatily, almost a purr, as he brought his mouth to hers for the second time that night.

Ziva wanted to resist, she really did, but there was something about him that called to the wildness in her, something she couldn't leave alone.

_Heaven help me, _she thought. Ziva abruptly stepped back, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

A slightly puzzled look crossed Tony's face. "Ziva . . .," he began, reaching out for her once more.

_Hey moon man don't shine on me  
__You are dangerous company  
__I got treasure in my chest  
__And the price is high for all the rest_

Without thinking, she shifted forms, not caring that it was difficult to do so while she was wearing clothes, and snapped at his fingers. Tony snatched his hand back as she changed again and glared at him. "Yes?" she asked suspiciously.

"Is there something wrong?"

She didn't answer, instead heading back to the couch and warmth of the fire. He was dangerous company. Although Ziva knew it was partly her wolf side drawing her to him, what she felt for him terrified her. Her eyes flickered to the full moon, and in that moment, she hated everything about that silver orb. _Don't shine on me, _she grouched, not caring that she was being irrational.

Tony sat down on the couch beside her. "Ziva, what is it?"

Turning to face him, her breath caught in her throat. There was genuine worry in his eyes. She said, "Nothing," but she was thinking he'd have to pay a high price for her—she wasn't quite ready to give all of herself to him.

Next thing she knew, his face was so close to hers their breath mingled. His voice was soft as he murmured, "You sure?"

"Yes," she managed, her eyes on his lips. She wanted him to kiss her again . . .

_Ain't no snake inside my wall  
__I won't be your voodoo doll  
__Baby I won't be your voodoo doll, yeah  
__Yeah, yeah_

_No! We can't. Gibbs . . . _The thought of her team leader's reaction made Ziva break the strange spell she'd been under. From the look in Tony's eyes, he knew what she was thinking. Ziva should have been slightly upset over that, but right now she didn't care. She was so tired . . .

"Yes, sleep," she heard Tony's voice as if from far away. Ziva was vaguely aware of his fingers stroking her face, her hair, his touch feather-light. "You're half asleep as it is."

She might have murmured something in reply, but the warmth from the fire and the heat of his body, and his scent wreathing around her was making her drowsy, lulling her further into sleep. Her eyes closed, and her last thought was, _I won't be your voodoo doll. _Then there was nothing.

_Hey moon man, hey moon man  
__Won't be, won't be, won't be voodoo doll  
__Don't shine on me man, don't make me  
__Won't be, won't be, won't be voodoo doll  
__Won't be, won't be, won't be voodoo doll  
__Won't be, won't be, won't be voodoo doll_

* * *

Track Eighteen: Werewolves of London

Tony leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk. Eyes on his computer screen, he popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth and started chewing.

From her desk across from his, Ziva watched her mate curiously. "Tony, what are you doing?"

"I'd like to know that, too," Tim chimed in from his desk next to DiNozzo's.

The senior field agent grinned. "Watching a movie."

"What kind of movie?" McGee asked.

Tony's grin now reached his eyes. "A werewolf movie, of course."

Ziva rolled her chocolate-brown eyes. "Which one is it now, that remake they did of _The Wolfman_?" She couldn't believe he enjoyed movies that both of them considered a parody of their kind. She liked a few of the horror movies, but Ziva preferred to curl up with a good book.

"Um, yeah," Tony said, a sheepish look wiping away the grin. "What are you, psychic?"

"No, I didn't read your mind, Tony." Ziva had to be careful of what she said, since she had no idea if McGee suspected they were Shifters. Well, there was that one time they'd scared him half to death—but it was all Tony's idea. She'd just gone along with it.

Tim's fingers moved rapidly over the keyboard, drowning out any sound from Tony's movie. A smile on his face, the computer geek clicked the mouse, and music filled the dark bullpen. Ziva didn't recognize the song, but Tony and McGeek did, obviously.

_I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand  
__Walkin' through the streets of __Soho__ in the rain  
__He was lookin' for the place called Lee Ho Fooks  
__Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mien_

_Aaahoo! Werewolves of __London  
__Aaahoo!  
__Aaahoo! Werewolves of __London  
__Aaahoo!_

"Y'know," Tony mused, "Chinese food sounds good right about now. I could do with some chicken chow mien and potato pancakes."

Ziva looked at him blankly. "Chicken chow mien and potato pancakes?"

"_Honeymooners_ reference," McGee explained.

"Oh."

_Ya hear him howlin' round your kitchen door  
__Ya better not let him in  
__Little old lady got mutilated last night  
__Werewolves of __London__ again_

Ziva bristled with irritation at Tony and McGee, who were joining in with the howling, goofy grins on their faces.

_Aaahoo! Werewolves of __London  
__Aaahoo!  
__Aaahoo! Werewolves of __London  
__Aaahoo!_

_Good grief,_ Ziva thought. _If Tony carries on like this, he'll give our secret away. _She'd kept the thought to herself, since she didn't want him invading her privacy. The telepathic link between bonded mates sure was helpful, but there were times both of them wanted their thoughts to be their own. She shook her head at the two guys as Tony and Tim began singing along—horribly.

_He's the hairy, hairy gent who ran amok in __Kent  
__Lately he's been overheard in __Mayfair  
__You better stay away from him  
__He'll rip your lungs out, Jim  
__Huh, I'd like to meet his tailor_

_Aaahoo! Werewolves of __London  
__Aaahoo!  
__Aaahoo! Werewolves of __London  
__Aaahoo!_

_Well, I saw Lon Chaney walkin' with the queen  
__Doin' the werewolves of __London  
__I saw Lon Chaney Jr. walkin' with the queen  
__Doin' the werewolves of __London  
__I saw a werewolf drinkin' a piña colada at Trader Vic's  
__And his hair was perfect_

_Aaahoo! Werewolves of __London  
__Draw blood  
__Aaahoo! Werewolves of __London_

The elevator doors opened to reveal Leroy Jethro Gibbs just as the song was drawing to a close. The ex-Marine stalked over to his desk, heard the music, and swung around to the two male agents. "What," he growled, "is that?"

Ziva wisely chose not to reply. Sometimes she wondered if Gibbs was part Shifter: he certainly acted like an alpha wolf.

Tony, however, was not as smart. He pointed at McGee and said, "It's his fault, Boss."

"Hey, you're the one who was watching a werewolf movie!" Tim protested.

"Yeah, but _you're _the one who was playing 'Werewolves of London'," DiNozzo pointed out.

Gibbs slapped both agents upside the head. "Shut up."

Tony winced. "Yes, Boss. Shutting up, Boss." Tim just shot and indignant look at the Italian Shifter as he rubbed the spot where he'd been Gibbs-slapped.

"Good," the silver-haired fox said. "I forgot my car keys." He snatched the key ring off his desk and started walking toward the elevator. As Tony started to lob a piece of popcorn at Elf Lord, the team leader called out, "Don't even think about it, DiNozzo," without even looking over his shoulder.

Then he was gone, leaving two stunned Shifters and a very confused Static behind.

DiNozzo glanced at his co-workers, shrugged, and said, "Anyone up for watching the 'Thriller' music video?"

"No!" McGeek and Ziva cried in unison.

* * *

Track Nineteen: You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)

The warm night air felt good on Tony's skin—even better when he considered who he was sitting next to. He and Ziva were relaxing on top of a grassy knoll, taking in the stillness of the summer night. Every so often his nose twitched as he caught the scent of rabbit, and it took all his self control not to shift into wolf form and track down the tantalizing prey.

Beside him, Ziva leaned against his left shoulder and tilted her head back to look at the amazingly clear sky. Up here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where they were currently working a case, there was no orange glow from the city lights or smog polluting their view of the stars. One of their Chargers was parked a few feet away, playing a local classic rock station—not too loudly, though. With their enhanced hearing, loud noises hurt their ears, and, like dogs, they could hear sounds humans couldn't.

The current song—"Dream On" by Aerosmith—ended, and Ziva shivered as she heard the start of the new piece. The words were so soft, a human would have had to strain to hear them, but the two Shifters could hear clearly. It sounded like a conversation between a boy and a girl, which went:

"On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?" That was the guy.

_"Will he offer me his mouth?" _the girl in the song asked.

"Yes."

_"Will he offer me his teeth?"_

"Yes."

_"Will he offer me his jaws?"_

"Yes."

_"Will he offer me his hunger?"_

"Yes."

_"Again, will he offer me his hunger?"_

"YES."

_"And will he starve without me?"_

"YES."

"_And does he love me?" _

"Yes."

_"Yes."_

"On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?"

_"Yes."_

"I bet you say that to all the boys."

Then the music started, and Ziva had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at the total cheesiness of this song. It totally sounded like something a couple of teenagers would do.

_It was a hot summer night and the beach was burning  
__There was fog crawling over the sand  
__When I listen to your heart I hear the whole world turning  
__I see the shooting stars  
__Falling through your trembling hands_

_You were licking your lips and your lipstick shining  
__I was dying just to ask for a taste  
__We were lying together in a silver lining  
__By the light of the moon  
__You know there's not another moment  
__Not another moment  
__Not another moment to waste_

Ziva's own tongue flicked out and wet her lips nervously. Something about the way her mate was looking at her, as if he wanted to devour her . . . She swallowed hard, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

_You hold me so close my knees grow weak  
__But my soul is flying high above the ground  
__I'm trying to speak but no matter what I do  
__I just can't seem to make any sound_

_And then you took the words right out of my mouth  
__Oh—it must have been while you were kissing me  
__You took the words right out of my mouth  
__And I swear it's true  
__I was just about to say I love you_

_And then you took the words right out of my mouth  
__Oh—it must have been while you were kissing me  
__You took the words right out of my mouth  
__And I swear it's true  
__I was just about to say I love you_

She narrowed her eyes and growled deep in her throat. "Don't get any ideas, Tony."

His green-gray eyes darkened to resemble evergreens. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. "I can't help it."

Her upper lip curled in a silent snarl even as she continued listening.

_Now my body is shaking like a wave on the water  
__And I guess that I'm beginning to grin  
__Oooh, we're finally alone and we can do what we want to  
__The night is young  
__And ain't no one gonna know where you  
__No one gonna know where you  
__No one's gonna know where you've been_

Right now it was taking all her self control not to shift forms. "DiNozzo . . .," she growled, shuffling slightly. The last thing on her mind was romance, or even a make-out session. Ziva just wanted to relax, look up at the stars; in the city, they almost never saw the constellations. Besides, this song totally sounded like what teenagers would do, not adults . . . although she sometimes wondered about that, given the way her mate was looking at her.

_You were licking your lips and your lipstick shining  
__I was dying just to ask for a taste  
__We were lying together in a silver lining  
__By the light of the moon  
__You know there's not another moment  
__Not another moment  
__Not another moment to waste_

_And then you took the words right out of my mouth  
__Oh—it must have been while you were kissing me  
__You took the words right out of my mouth  
__And I swear it's true  
__I was just about to say I love you_

_And then you took the words right out of my mouth  
__Oh—it must have been while you were kissing me  
__You took the words right out of my mouth  
__And I swear it's true  
__I was just about to say I love you_

When the song ended after repeating "you took the words right out of my mouth" several times, Ziva sprang to her feet. "C'mon, I'm ready to go back. Besides, we have a long day tomorrow."

"Okay." Reluctantly, Tony also rose. "We should do this again sometime—looking up at the stars, I mean. That okay?"

"Yes." She smiled briefly. "I'd like that."

She could feel his grin even without looking back at him. _Oh boy._

* * *

Track Twenty: All Revved Up With No Place to Go

_I was nothing but a lonely all-American boy looking for something new  
__And you were nothing but a lonely girl  
__But you were something  
__Something like a dream come true_

_I was a varsity tackle and a hell of a block  
__And when I played my guitar  
__I made the canyons rock—but—  
__Every Saturday night  
__I felt the fever grow  
__Do ya know what it's like  
__All revved up with no place to go  
__Do ya know what it's like  
__All revved up with no place to go_

The brown-furred wolf gazed down at the suburbs of Washington, D.C. from his spot on a rocky hill, several miles outside of the city. Starlight reflected in his green-gray eyes, making them impossible to read.

Since the murder of his former partner, Kate Todd, he would sometimes come up here to think and be by himself. Even though Kate had been a Static, Tony had had a brother-sister relationship with her. They'd have fun ganging up on McGee, he recalled, and now he had a new partner-in-crime: Ziva David, the Mossad liaison officer—who also happened to be a Shifter. DiNozzo had instantly taking a liking to her—and it was nice to know he wasn't the only Shifter on the team anymore.

Lately, though, he'd been feeling restless every Saturday night—not that he was sure why. Sometimes it felt as though the wolf inside him was trying to crawl out of his skin—and that scared him.

Nails scratching at the stone, the wolf looked down at the orange glow of the city once more before pointing his muzzle back and howling at the gibbous moon. After a moment, he turned away, not really expecting to hear anything else.

The answering howl stopped him in his tracks. It sounded vaguely familiar . . . was it Ziva? Tony huffed and took off, suddenly wanting nothing more than a warm bed.

_In the middle of a steaming night  
__I'm tossing in my sleep  
__And in the middle of a red-eyed dream  
__I see you coming  
__Coming to give it to me_

Back home and in bed, Tony had sunk into a fitful sleep. He kept tossing and turning, caught up in the nightmare.

_He was running through thick woods in __Rock __Creek __Park__, mist swirling around the black, skeletal trees. The NCIS agent was still in human form and he couldn't shake the feeling of being chased. Glancing back, he could see red eyes peering through the gloom._

Why does this feel like I'm in a horror movie? Well, I'm not exactly like the helpless victims picked off by the serial killer or monster . . . Man, I gotta watch _Nightmare on __Elm Street__._

_Those red eyes were coming closer, and now Tony could see they belonged to a huge man-wolf—a __Hollywood__ werewolf, like in _Prisoner of Azkaban_._

_Without thinking, he changed forms, his paws sending leaf mulch flying into the air. He couldn't let this beast catch him._

_A lone figure suddenly appeared through the trees, sending the wolf skidding to a halt as he tried to avoid knocking it over. Its scent reached his nose, and with a start, he realized it was Ziva._

What the—

_He glanced back, but the werewolf had vanished. Confused, he returned his attention to his partner and was surprised to see a dark, promising look on her face. She reached down, and in his haste to move away, Tony hit his head hard on a tree trunk._

The moment his wolf head collided with the tree, Tony's eyes snapped open. Weak moonlight cast silver rectangles and dark shadows on the walls of his bedroom. He propped himself up on one elbow and glanced at the clock. It was late, so late it was early.

"What a dream," he muttered. And he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep tonight.

_I was out on the prowl down by the edge of the tracks  
__And like a son of a jackal  
__I'm a leader of the pack—but—  
__Every Saturday night  
__I felt the fever grow  
__Do ya know what it's like  
__All revved up with no place to go  
__Do ya know what it's like  
__All revved up with no place to go_

The next night, he was feeling restless again after Gibbs released them for the day. Thankfully, there were no cases and the team could do whatever they wanted now that they were off duty.

One of the problems with transforming into a wolf was that Shifters had the whole pack mentality. Aside from Ziva, he wasn't aware of any other Shifters in the area, but there had to be a pack in one of the other Washington, D.C. suburbs. He'd come across a lot of hidey-holes that had been set up in case of emergency—to be used in case a pack member, or any Shifter, needed a place to rest or was in danger. While Tony was Gibbs's Senior Field Agent, he'd known he was never meant to be a pack leader.

Walking down along a street that paralleled a set of railroad tracks, he caught Ziva's scent, briefly. Then it was gone with the breeze it had come on.

Frustrated, he turned back and began prowling along the edge of the tracks. He disliked the feeling of being full of energy and having no outlet for it.

Once again, he caught a whiff of his partner's scent and began following his nose. His sense of smell had never let him down before.

_Oh, Baby, I'm a hunter in the dark of the forest  
__I've been stalking you and tracking you down  
__Cruising up and down the main drag all night long  
__We could be standing at the top of the world  
__Instead of sinking further down in the mud  
__You and me 'round about __midnight  
__You and me 'round about __midnight  
__Someone's gotta draw first  
__Draw first  
__Someone's gotta draw first blood  
__Someone's gotta draw first blood  
__Oooh I gotta draw first blood  
__Oooh I gotta draw first blood_

Since he was heading back into town, it was easier to remain in human form. Soon, she was in his sights, leaning against the front window of a pizza parlor. He joined her, slouching against the window. "Hey, Zee-vah. You hungry?"

The Israeli glanced behind her, as if slightly surprised. "No, not really, Tony. Why, are you?"

Tony, thinking of several possible answers to that question, grinned. "You could say that."

"How can you be? It's almost midnight and this place is closed."

"I wasn't talking about food."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "Tony, that's— Move it!" She dove to the side, pulling him down with her, just barely missing the silver bullet. Already she was tearing off her clothes, preparing to shift. Tony, after much swearing and confusion, followed her lead. Seconds later, two snarling brown wolves were in their places, ready to face their unknown attacker.

_It's not a ninja, is it?_

_No. Geez, Tony, what do you think this is—_Van Helsing?

_Well, that was actually about a monster hunter. Cool special effects, by the way._

_Why do I even bother? _Ziva huffed and began prowling toward the man in black, who was hidden in shadows across the street. _C'mon. Someone has to draw first blood, and I prefer it be one of us than him._

_Besides, maybe he has only one silver bullet, _Tony added hopefully.

Instead of answering, Ziva lunged, moving faster than the eye could see. Her jaws latched onto the attacker's throat, and before long, he was no longer breathing.

_Well, let's go home, _the she-wolf thought.

_Hey, Ziva, _he asked before she could get very far, _do ya know what it's like all revved up with no place to go?_

_Tony, shut up. I don't like Meat Loaf._

_How can you not like meat loaf?_

_Not the food, you idiot. The singer._

_Oh. Pizza? _he offered as he padded after her.

_I was out on the prowl down by the edge of the tracks  
__And like a son of a jackal I'm a leader of the pack—but—  
__Every Saturday night  
__I felt the fever grow  
__Do ya know what it's like  
__All revved up with no place to go  
__Do ya know what it's like  
__All revved up with no place to go_

_I was nothing but a lonely all-American boy  
__Looking out for something to do  
__And you were nothing but a lonely all-American girl  
__But you were something like a dream come true  
__I was a varsity tackle and a hell of a block  
__And when I played my guitar I made the canyons rock  
__But every Saturday night  
__I felt the fever grow  
__All revved up with no place to go  
__All revved up with no place to go  
__All revved up with no place to go  
__All revved up with no place to go  
__All revved up with no place to go_

* * *

Track Twenty-One: Animal

The elevator doors slid open and Shifters Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David walked out of same and into Abby Scuito's lab. Both of them stopped and stared at the Gothic forensic scientist, who was dancing to . . . was that Def Leppard?

"Uh, Abby," Tony said loudly. When she didn't appear to have heard, he yelled, "ABBY!"

She stopped immediately. "Oh, hi, guys. No, I don't have anything on the tox screen yet, and we have no idea where Nixon is. Like my music choice for today?"

"I didn't even know you knew Def Leppard existed," Tony said, trying to concentrate on the song. Was it "Two Steps Behind" or "Bringing on the Heartbreak"? After a moment, he decided it was the former.

Confusion was written all over Ziva's face. "Who's Def Leppard?"

Abby and Tony looked at her as if she was nuts. "You're kidding, right?" Abby said. "They're an awesome British rock band. Granted, they're from the '80s, but—" She shut up at Tony's will-you-get-to-the-point look. The senior field agent simplified the answer with, "You've heard 'Pour Some Sugar on Me,' right, Ziva?"

"Oh." The confused look cleared. "Yes, now I know who you're talking about."

"Hey, Abby, where'd you—?" Tony began, cutting himself off as a new song started.

_A wild ride over stony ground  
__Such a lust for life, the circus comes to town  
__We are the hungry ones on a lightning raid  
__Just like a river runs, like a fire needs flame  
__Oh, I burn for you_

Immediately he started feeling uncomfortable. Deliberately avoiding looking at Ziva, DiNozzo said, "Well, I'll see you around, Abby. Let us know if you have anything."

"Sure." Abby was oblivious to the fact that the two Shifters were slowly backing out of her lab. She jumped into the air, landing with her feet shoulder-length apart and brought her right hand down hard on the strings of an air guitar, left hand fingers moving over the imaginary frets as she started singing along.

_"I gotta feel it in my blood, whoa oh  
__I need your touch don't need your love, whoa oh  
__And I want, and I need, and I lust, animal  
__And I want, and I need, and I lust, animal"_

"What the—" Ziva said.

"Don't ask. I don't even wanna know where or how she got that CD," Tony replied. Man, he couldn't wait until this day was over.

Reading his thoughts, Ziva said, "Me neither." DiNozzo, startled, opened his mouth to comment, thought better of it, and shut up like a clam about to be dropped in a boiling pot.

He was relieved when, as the full moon made itself known in the night sky, Gibbs released the team for the day. The snippet of song he'd heard Abby singing kept playing in his head, reminding him of his relationship with Ziva. Sometimes he found it hard to believe they were mates for life, or that she'd even accepted him in the first place.

He glanced over at her once they were in the elevator, somehow not surprised to find that he wanted her touch—_needed _it. Then again, he was half human, half wolf . . .

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ziva open her mouth. "Miss, David, if you're reading my thoughts, I'd suggest you remain silent unless you wish to lose a limb."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed. I must be rubbing off on you."

"It's not something to be proud of," Tony muttered as he stabbed the button that would bring them to the parking lot. He had no idea how he was going to resist the temptation, with her so close . . .

_I cry wolf, given mouth to mouth  
__Like a movin' heartbeat in the witching hour  
__I'm runnin' with the wind, a shadow in the dust  
__And like the drivin' rain, hey, like the restless rust  
__I never sleep_

Somehow, he made it to his Mustang, feeling jumpy from the light of the full moon. Checking his watch, he saw that it was almost nine. "Well," he commented, "at least we don't have to pull an all-nighter."

"I agree," came Ziva's soft voice from the next car over. Tony jumped, fighting the urge to shift forms. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Ziva!"

"Why not? It's fun," she said, stalking closer, mischief in her brown eyes.

"To you, maybe," DiNozzo shot back, green eyes narrowing when he noticed how close she had come. Ziva was small for a woman and a wolf, but he knew all too well that her body was her most lethal weapon. Especially when, in the next moment, she'd caught him up in a hot, greedy kiss. Maybe it was the full moon, but his inner wolf was howling, eager for more.

Then she had stepped back, and he blinked in confusion. Ziva smirked. "Good night, Tony," she said as she patted his cheek before turning and walking away to her red Mini Cooper.

Watching her, he growled in frustration, letting the full sub-vocalization come through. She sure knew how to tease him, and right now, that wasn't a good thing.

Suddenly feeling the urge to run, he unlocked the Mustang, tossed his clothes in the seat, and shifted forms. Tony almost pointed his snout skyward before curbing the instinct to call out to other wolves. Shaking his ruff, he set out at a trot, weaving through cars and passing a very surprised Jimmy Palmer, whose eyes widened behind his glasses before he slumped to the ground in a dead faint. Tony's tongue lolled out in a wolf grin before he broke into a lope, runnin' with the wind, a shadow in the dust and night. The senior field agent relished the feeling that came with running so fast, everything else blurred. Energy returned to his dragging limbs, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

Finally, he slowed down and returned to his Mustang. Shifting forms, he opened the door, dressed quickly, shut said door, and began driving home, keeping an eye out for a certain female Shifter. Not taking into account the kiss she'd given him an hour earlier, he couldn't help but want her.

_I gotta feel it in my blood, whoa oh_  
_I need your touch don't need your love, whoa oh  
__And I want, and I need, and I lust, animal  
__And I want, and I need, and I lust, animal_

Without really thinking, he headed over to Ziva's apartment. Tony wasn't sure _why _he was going to see her, but right then he needed her touch, had to feel it. Or maybe it was just his wolf instincts, wanting to claim his territory . . . nah, it was both.

Before long, he was standing in front of the door to her place, fist poised to knock. Ziva had opened it even before he landed a blow on the door, not looking surprised at all to find him there. "Yes, Tony?"

"Uh, can I come in?"

"Sure. You know, you don't have to ask."

"How'd you know I was here?"

"I smelled you."

"Excuse me?"

"Your scent, Tony. What are you doing here?"

"I've been asking myself that same question," he muttered under his breath.

Hearing the muttered comment, a playful smile twitched at Ziva's mouth. She stepped back into the living room, letting the door close behind the two of them. "I'm sure you have."

Tony would have had some witty comeback, but he was distracted. Her scent, her looks . . . He was done for, very much in either lust or love—probably lust.

_Huh! Oh! Cry wolf baby, cry tough  
__Gonna hunt you like an, uh, uh, animal  
__Gonna take your love 'n' run_

_I gotta feel it in my blood, whoa oh  
__I need your touch don't need your love, whoa oh  
__And I want, and I need, and I lust, animal  
__And I want, and I need, and I lust, animal_

The playful look on his partner's face faded when he remained silent. "Tony? You okay?"

Unable to speak, he swallowed hard. Finally, he forced out, "Yeah," but eh voice the word came out in didn't sound like his at all. It was hoarse, raspy. And all he wanted at the moment was her—really, he couldn't help it. Especially when the moon was full: the animal inside him was always stronger then, as was Ziva's.

So maybe his wolf was partly to blame when he stepped in close to her personal space, slipped his hands around her back, and slashed his mouth across hers. At first, he felt her tense before she relaxed, returning the kiss.

And still he wanted more.

_And I want  
__(And I want)  
__And I need  
__(And I need)_  
_And I lust  
__(And I lust)  
__Animal  
__(Animal)_

_And I want  
__(Take me)  
__And I need  
__(Tame me)  
__And I lust  
__(Make me)  
__Animal  
__(Your animal)_

"Tony, wait. Stop. I—" Ziva's words of protest trailed off with a low moan that turned into a growl of warning when he nipped at her neck.

At the growl, he backed off, running his fingers through his hair. "Sorry, Ziva, I—"

"Shut up and let me lead for once."

He grinned. "Of course." Obediently, he followed her into the bedroom. There were advantages to being part animal, especially when there was a full moon.

_And I want  
__(Show me)  
__And I need  
__(Stroke me)  
__And I lust  
__(Let me be your)  
__Animal  
__(Animal)_

_And I want  
__(I want)_  
_And I need  
__(Ooh, ooh, ooh)  
__And I lust  
__Animal  
__(Animal)_

* * *

Track Twenty-Two: Howling for You

Tony DiNozzo's nose twitched as he caught a very familiar scent, that of the forest at night. There was only one person he knew of who smelled like that: Ziva David, a wolf like him. He glanced up from his desk and saw she was leaning over it, her hands braced on the edges. The senior field agent asked, "What do you want, Ziva?"

Her fudge-colored eyes were serious as she said, "Something's troubling you. What is it?"

He silently debated whether or not to tell her, then decided he should. "Jeanne. I can't keep going undercover with her just to hurt her. And she thinks I'm seeing you—or someone else besides her, at least."

Ziva's serious eyes lightened with wry amusement. "Well, you're not. Tony, you don't really love her, do you? I mean, we don't usually mix with Statics."

Tony met her gaze steadily. "No, I'm not. I don't."

_All right  
__Yeah  
__Well now_

_I must admit I can't explain  
__Any of these thoughts running through my brain  
__It's true but baby I'm howlin' for you_

Since a person's scent changed slightly when they lied, Ziva knew he was telling the truth. What Tony wouldn't say—to anyone—was that he was howling for his partner. Even DiNozzo didn't understand all the thoughts running through his brain—and he sort of didn't _want _to.

Ziva inclined her head slightly, her eyes asking, _Then who do you love? _Not that Tony could answer that question: he'd get the father of all Gibbs-slaps if he did. As tempted as he was to break the infamous Rule Number Twelve . . .

"Hey, you two!" Gibbs' voice cut into Tony's thoughts. The Israeli across from the Italian Shifter immediately stood up straight, as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't. "Back to work! I want to find Phoebe Madison. She's our drug dealer, I just know it."

"Yes, Boss," Tony said automatically, turning to his computer keyboard and typing as fast as he could—which, really, wasn't all that fast.

_All right_

_There's something wrong  
__With this plot  
__The actors here, have not got a clue  
__Baby, I'm howlin' for you_

As the sun was going down, Tony glanced around the bullpen, wondering when they'd be able to go home. His wolf itched beneath his skin, and he had to resist the urge to howl his frustration and restlessness. His gray-green eyes landed on Ziva, and he could see she was as antsy as he was. Unfortunately, no one on the team—or in the agency—knew they were Shifters.

Unable to bear the restlessness any longer, DiNozzo rose and headed over to Ziva's desk. She looked up as he towered over her. "Yes?" she said.

"Do you want to go for a run with me?" Tony invited, feeling a corner of his mouth hitch up in a half-smile.

To his relief, she nodded. "Let's go." Rising, Ziva snagged her coat from the back of her chair and followed him out the door. As soon as they were in a safe place, both of them transformed and took off, keeping to the shadows.

Tony easily kept pace with Ziva, his pelt occasionally brushing hers. He wondered how the rest of the team—Gibbs, McGee, Ducky, Palmer, and Abby—could have no clue about what he felt for his Israeli partner. Something was wrong there, or he was a rabbit.

_Mockingbird  
__Can't you see?  
__Little girl's got a hold on me like glue  
__Baby, I'm howlin' for you  
__Yeah_

Suddenly Ziva veered off into a small park. Startled, Tony's ears flicked forward and he stumbled as his right forepaw caught on a rock. He couldn't catch himself in time and went tumbling head over tail.

Ahead of him, the dark brown she-wolf skidded to a halt and turned back. _Tony! Are you all right?_

_Yeah, I'm fine, _he replied, shaking the dust out of his coat as he scrabbled to his paws. _Why'd you come over here?_

_I scented rabbit, _Ziva said.

At the word "rabbit," Tony's ears pricked up, his tail started wagging, and he licked his chops. _Let's go, then. _He sniffed at the air and caught the delicious scent at once. Instantly he crouched low, settling his weight on his haunches, and crept forward, barely placing one paw on the ground before he took another step. Tony signaled with his ears for Ziva to go around and flush out their prey. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the brown-black wolf slinking along, her belly low to the ground. Then she sprang, sending a startled rabbit or two fleeing from cover. One rabbit raced straight toward Tony, and he pounced instantly, killing it with a swift bite to the back of the head. Meanwhile, Ziva had landed on the other rabbit, strangled it, and was now dragging her meal over to Tony. Settling down, she tore into the still-warm meat. Drooling, DiNozzo started eating his own rabbit. If anyone saw them, they'd just assume they were stray dogs or something.

While he ate, Tony kept glancing at Ziva. How was it she had such a hold on him? Then again, the Mossad liaison was all wrapped up in mystery, even before he knew she was a Shifter. She was so wild and free . . . and she was all he wanted.

Tony finished his rabbit and, with a final swipe of his tongue across his chops, said, _We'd better get back. Gibbs will be wondering where we are._

_Okay, _Ziva answered, shaking her ruff once she'd risen to her paws. _Let's start, then._

_Throw the ball to the stick  
__A swing and a miss, in the catcher's mitt  
__Strike two  
__Baby, I'm howlin' for you_

When they made it into the parking lot at the Navy Yard in front of NCIS headquarters in human form, Gibbs was waiting for them, leaning against the doorway. Tony gulped: the ex-sniper did _not _look happy at all.

"Where have you two been?" Gibbs asked in a voice of quiet steel.

It sounded dumb, even to Tony, when he stammered, "Uh, we . . . we went for a run." No need to mention that they'd been wolves; besides, Gibbs didn't know their secret, nor did anyone at NCIS or Mossad.

The Bossman's pale blue eyes were like chips of frozen ice. "A run, huh? Why?"

"None of your business," Ziva muttered, averting her eyes from Gibbs's penetrating gaze. Tony was sure she hadn't meant for the comment to be heard, but judging by the way their team leader's eyes narrowed, Gibbs had heard. The former Marine practically snarled, "Yes, it is, Officer David! You work for me, or have you forgotten? For all I know, you could have been in trouble! Haven't you learned never to be unreachable?"

The Mossad liaison just went very still, the way a predator does when it's scented prey. DiNozzo was sure that, if she'd been in wolf form, she would have assumed an aggressive stance, snarling, before she attacked. Just from the way she was standing in human form, Tony knew she was on the verge of losing it. He thought, _Take it easy, Zi. You don't want to hurt Gibbs. He may be human, but he's also the closest thing we have to a pack leader. _At least they weren't in wolf form or were mates, although he'd occasionally catch her thoughts when they were humans. For the moment, Tony was grateful they weren't together: Ziva would probably murder him in his sleep if she knew everything inside his head.

The staring contest went on for a few more seconds until Ziva was forced to look away. (Yes, Gibbs was _that _powerful.) She muttered, "Sorry. I know how you feel about apologies, but—"

"Apology accepted. Just don't let it happen again."

Both Shifters understood that for the warning it was. "Yes, Gibbs," they said in unison.

* * *

Track Twenty-Three: It Was All a Lie

Tony DiNozzo, a NCIS Special Agent and Shifter, glared at Jeanne Bentoit, fighting back the urge to flash fangs at his ex-girlfriend. He couldn't hold in an angry snarl, though, and his eyes darted past her to his partner and mate, Ziva David. Thankfully, Jeanne didn't seem to realize how close Ziva was; she had eyes only for DiNozzo. And Tony didn't think Jeanne knew Ziva was a Shifter; that could save the Mossad liaison officer. Voice fighting to stay steady, he asked, "What is it you want now, Jeanne? What did Chris tell you that convinced you to join him?"

The brunette doctor's hands shifted a little, and the knife slipped before her hold on it tightened once more. "What's it to you?" she hissed, green eyes flashing contempt. Amazing how he could see that in the darkness of the hospital morgue—well, maybe not, since he had a wolf's night vision.

As to why they were down there: A suspect in an ongoing heroin smuggling case had come into the hospital and died. The dealer and his sister had been demanding that Jeanne give them the drugs by opening the cadaver, and Tony and Ziva had just so happened to tag along. Now the dealer and the dead suspect's sister were knocked unconscious thanks to Ziva's ninja Mossad skills, and the she-wolf had darted into the shadows, leaving her mate and the woman he'd been dating as part of an undercover assignment to work things out. Needless to say, it wasn't going well.

"Considering your plans probably involve me and Ziva, I would like to know how you were sucked in," Tony answered her earlier question.

"Tony, who are you, really? The way you handled that man's gun, and the way she took both of them out . . ."

_Bind my limbs with fear (with fear)  
__Choke me with tears (with tears)  
__Won't die for you  
__You've (you've) been here before (before)  
__And come back for more (more)  
__Not this time_

"Okay, fine. I'm not who you think I am. My name isn't Tony DiNardo, it's Anthony DiNozzo, and I'm a Special Agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. She's our Mossad liaison."

Shock and betrayal flared in Jeanne's pale green eyes. "You lied to me! And on top of that, you can turn into a wolf whenever you want, so you're not even human! It's all been lies. Why?"

"First off, I misled you. Second, why don't you ask your father—or Chris Nixon?"

"Leave my father out of this!" Jeanne hissed, her shock giving way to anger. "As for Chris, he sought me out after he found out your furry little secret. I'm not scared of you, Tony." Her grip on the surgical knife tightened and she advanced on him.

A snarl rippled out from the shadows; a black blur leaped forward and grabbed Jeanne's hand in a vice grip, twisting her wrist so the knife clattered to the floor. It was Ziva, of course.

"Touch him," she growled, "and I'll rip your throat out." Tony caught a gleam of light as Ziva flashed sharp canines at the doctor.

"Officer David," Tony snapped, "stand down. _Now,_" he added when Ziva stayed in Jeanne's face for another thirty seconds.

Reluctance showing in every inch of her body, Ziva stepped back. Tony couldn't blame her, really, since he was struggling to control his own beast.

Suddenly he caught the scent of leather and soap and snapped his head around to face the source, a snarl ripping from his throat. There was no way he and Ziva were going to die for the sake of Chris Nixon's insane plan. _These guys never learn, _he thought, clenching fists as he stared at Chris.

_You will never be strong enough  
__You will never be good enough  
__You were never conceived in love  
__You will not rise above_

"Well, sorry to interrupt," Chris said, a cold smile on his face. "Never mind. I'd like to interrupt." He stalked toward the two Shifters and his partner, hazel eyes glinting.

Ziva's head whipped toward him, and she growled deep in her chest. "Stay back unless you wish to live. I'm sure you'd go through life ably with only one arm."

He flinched but quickly regained his cool composure. "You wouldn't."

"Try me." Ziva's smile was full of knives.

"What do you want, Nixon?" Tony asked.

"To study you. If we can unlock the secret to how you transform . . ." He licked his lips, a hungry gleam in his eyes. Uneasily, Tony glanced from him to Jeanne. "You don't really expect us to come along peacefully, do you?"

"Of course not."

_He's insane, _Tony realized. Suddenly he wanted to be _out _of there. "Great, because you're not going to get either of us to study and experiment on."

Ziva growled her agreement, her eyes back on Jeanne. Tony knew she was dying to shift but didn't dare: all these two Statics had was suspicions that the NCIS agent and Mossad liaison could transform into wolves. In the next moment Ziva was a black blur as she raced past the three of them to the elevator. Tony followed, but not before whispering in Jeanne's ear, "I'm not the only one who's lied to you. He's doing this for himself, Jeanne."

"Shut up and get out."

He did, with much relief, leaving Jeanne alone with Chris as he took off after Ziva.

_Somebody tell me what made us all believe you  
__I should have known all along it was all a lie  
__(Should have known it was all a lie)  
__Now (now) I know the truth (truth)  
__I'm through with fearing you (you)  
__I am free_

Once Jeanne was sure they were alone, save for the unconscious drug dealer and the dead junkie's sister, she let her pale green eyes meet Chris's hazel ones. She sighed. "What made me believe him in the first place? He wasn't even human, and now I find out he's not who I thought he was." The doctor paced, her body taut with anger. _At least I'm not scared of him._

"He was probably ordered to get close to you, to use you," said Chris, moving closer to her. "Besides, you're human; he's a werewolf. Did you really think you could be together?"

"I did," she whispered. "Now, I don't think so."

"If we keep working together, I can give you what you want," he said low, his voice oddly soothing on her frayed nerves.

"I know. Come on, let's go."

He smiled and offered his elbow to her. It was an old-fashioned gesture, but Jeanne looped her arm through his, feeling comforted as they headed out, taking the same path as the two Shifters. They had to succeed. If not . . . well, she wouldn't think about it.

_You will never be strong enough  
__You will never be good enough  
__You were never conceived in love  
__You will not rise above  
_

_Somebody tell me what made us all believe you  
__I should have known all along it was all a lie  
__(I should have known it was a lie)  
__Somebody tell me what made us all believe you  
__I should have known all along it was all a lie  
_

_Somebody tell me what made us all believe you  
__(I should have known it was a lie)  
__Should have known it was a lie  
__I should have known it was a lie_

* * *

Track Twenty-Four: It's Terror Time Again

NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee glanced around the darkened park nervously. Thankfully the full moon lent plenty of light, but he couldn't help remembering the last time he'd gone for a nighttime walk when the moon was full. He'd been chased by two wolves who had been his colleagues, trapped in a creepy old house, and almost scared to death. Now it seemed to be happening all over again as he heard an owl screech and the wind begin to howl.

_You hear the screeching of an owl  
__You hear the wind begin to howl  
__You know there's zombies on the prowl_

Goosebumps formed on McGee's arms as he heard the cries of two wolves—and they were close, very close.

He swallowed hard as he saw two brown wolves, one with green eyes, the other with eyes so brown they were almost black, prowling towards him, their belly fur brushing the ground.

"Not again!" Tim cried, a low moan of fear in his throat as he turned and began running away from Tony and Ziva.

_And it's terror time again  
__They've got you running through the night  
__It's terror time again  
__Oh you just might die of fright  
__It's a terrifying time_

He ran blindly through the park, knowing that Ziva and Tony were on his tail and that there was no way he could outrun them. They were toying with him, like a cat plays with a mouse right before it eats its prey.

McGee could hear the click of teeth interlocking as one of them snapped their jaws. He glanced back to see who it was, and in that second, he tripped over a tree root and went sprawling. Tim instantly scrabbled to his feet and began running once more, his only thought to lose his wolf co-workers. For some reason he was being reminded of the song in _Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island_, only instead of zombies chasing him, it was werewolves. McGee was thinking that if they didn't finish him off first, he was going to die of fright.

_You hear the beating of your heart  
__You know the screaming's gonna start  
__Here comes the really scary part_

Tim's heart pounded against his chest; adrenaline and fear coursed through his body, lending him strength and speed he didn't know he had.

A scream bubbled up in his throat as Tony in wolf form crashed through the undergrowth and landed in front of him, his gray-green eyes dancing even as he bared his teeth in a snarl. Terrified, McGee couldn't help but release the scream that had been building. He skidded to a halt and turned to the left, only to freeze as he saw Ziva blocking his path. Her dark eyes were unreadable, but her hackles had risen and she looked ready to attack. McGee thought, _God help me, please._

_'Cause it's terror time again  
__They've got you running through the night  
__It's terror time again  
__Oh you just might die of fright  
__It's a terrifying time_

Desperate now, McGee did a 180, dodged past DiNozzo, and started running for his life once more. He found himself humming the chorus to the song in the '98 Scooby-Doo movie, but he didn't mind: it was so appropriate under the circumstances.

Arms pumping at his sides, feet pounding the ground, Tim was afraid that they would have him running all through the night. He scrambled up a small hill, which the wolves made in one bound. Tim didn't dare look back to see how close they were. All he had to do was keep running. _Keep running . . ._

_All the trees begin to moan  
__And the monsters grunt and groan  
__Rotting faces full of slime  
__Don't you know it's terror time?_

The wind blew harder, causing all the trees to sway and moan.

McGee reached the crest of the hill and froze, terror freezing his limbs as he stared in horror at the corpses that were beginning to claw their way out of the ground. He screamed and turned to run back down the hill, ignoring his sore muscles. "Run guys!" he yelled to Tony and Ziva. "There's dead bodies up there . . . and they're moving!"

The two wolves exchanged worried glances and wheeled around, taking up flanking positions on either side of McGee. Tony and Ziva's pelts prickled in horror as they heard the groans and grunts of zombies lurching forward behind them. What had started out as a way to have some fun and scare McGee had turned out to be not-so-fun and terrifying.

Both Shifters whined with fear, not daring to look back as they pelted toward safety, slowing down every so often to stay with McGee. Suddenly Ziva peeled away from the two men and crouched in front of the horde of undead monsters. Her fur was sticking up along her spine and her ears were flat against her head, but she managed to growl her defiance at the zombies lurching toward her. It was obvious to both Tim and Tony that she was ready to attack, but who knew what damage could be inflicted on her if she bit one of them?

One of the zombies hit his head on a low tree branch, and his head came flying off his neck. Still he slowly moved forward, arms searching for his head. The groping hands found it and set it firmly back in its place.

"Forget about fighting them, Ziva!" McGee yelled. "Let's get out of here!" Beside him, Tony barked agreement.

The she-wolf grumbled under her breath but turned tail anyway. Yet again, the three agents were on the run.

Hours later, when the sun came up, the living dead were back in the ground, having given no sign that they had been up and about.

_And it's terror time again  
__They've got you running through the night  
__Yes it's terror time again  
__Oh you just might die of fright  
__It's a terrifying time!_

* * *

Track Twenty-Five: Moon Over Bourbon Street

_There's a moon over __Bourbon Street__ tonight  
__I see faces as they pass beneath the pale lamplight  
__I've no choice but to follow that call  
__The bright lights, the people, and the moon and all  
__I pray every day to be strong  
__For I know what I do must be wrong  
__Oh you'll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet  
__While there's a moon over __Bourbon Street_

Tony glanced up at the large Harvest Moon that was hanging low in the sky before lowering his eyes, sweeping his green-gray orbs over the faces he saw passing along Bourbon Street. The moon was a pale gold, and anyone who looked in his eyes would have seen an animalistic glint—or maybe it was the reflection of the moon and the pale lamplights.

DiNozzo inhaled deeply, savoring the rich scent of the night, and felt the wolf inside him stir. Sometimes it was hard to control it, and he'd pray that his human side would be stronger than his wolf. He thought, _Knock it off, _and kept walking, his strides long and silent.

_It was many years ago that I became what I am  
__I was trapped in this life like an innocent lamb  
__Now I can only show my face at __noon  
__And you'll only see me walking by the light of the moon  
__The brim of my hat hides the eye of a beast  
__I've the face of a sinner but the hands of a priest  
__Oh you'll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet  
__While there's a moon over __Bourbon Street_

Tony had been born a Shifter, but his first transformation hadn't happened until he was eighteen. Ever since, he loved being able to shape-shift, even though it meant he had to keep his ability secret from humans. Sometimes it was hard to hide the beast that harbored within, like tonight, for instance.

The scent of the forest at night wafted toward him, and DiNozzo stopped walking and tensed, sniffing the air to be certain of where it was coming from. That was Ziva David's scent, and one he was very familiar with. After glancing around to make sure no one was watching him, Tony headed off, following his nose, his cap drawn low over his eyes so the wolfish glint would be hidden. His chiseled features were scrunched up in concentration as he kept walking silently down Bourbon Street, the full harvest moon serving as a spotlight.

_She walks every day through the streets of __New Orleans  
__She's innocent and young from a family of means  
__I have stood many times outside her window at night  
__To struggle with my instinct in the pale moonlight  
__How could I be this way when I pray to God above  
__I must love what I destroy and destroy the thing I love  
__Oh you'll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet  
__While there's a moon over __Bourbon Street_

It wasn't long before he stood underneath the window of Ziva's apartment. _Huh. I didn't know she lived that close. _But then, he had become quite familiar with the area around her apartment, given he'd come over at least once a week while Gibbs was down in Mexico with his old mentor, Mike Franks.

The lyrics to a song by Sting floated around in his head, and Tony laughed quietly to himself. Ziva certainly wasn't innocent, but her father _was _the Director of Mossad, so you could argue she had come from a family of means.

He glanced up at her window again and frowned. The light, which had been on only a few seconds before, was off.

"Looking for someone, Tony?" a female voice whispered in his ear.

He jumped, nearly shifted forms, and yelped. Turning, he saw it was Ziva. His hand over his rapidly-beating heart, he said, "Geez, Ziva! What're you trying to do, scare me to death?"

Her teeth flashed white in the darkness. "Maybe. That depends. What were you doing outside my window?"

"Uh, well, I was walking along on Bourbon Street and I caught your scent—"

"So you followed it," she finished. Then she playfully slammed her fist into his shoulder.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He glared at her, rubbing the sore spot.

Tony could feel her eyes on him, the dark brown gaze never wavering. "You're stalking me! I've caught your scent outside my apartment before, Tony. If you want to come in, you just have to ask."

He nodded, resisting the urge to pounce and take them both to the ground. "So, can I come in?"

Ziva tilted her head to the side. "Sure. Might as well."

Tony smiled as he followed her in. As long as he was here, they might as well make up for lost time for when the team had been split up.

* * *

Track Twenty-Six: Rock You Like a Hurricane

_It's early morning  
__The sun comes out  
__Last night was shaking  
__And pretty loud  
__My cat is purring  
__And scratches my skin  
__So what is wrong  
__With another sin  
_

_The bitch is hungry  
__She needs to tell__  
So give her inches  
__And feed her well_

As far as Tony could tell from the lightening behind his eyelids, it was early morning and the sun was coming out. He growled a protest, opened his eyes, and turned over to see he was sharing the bed with a very warm, very female body. Tony stiffened, then relaxed as he realized it was his mate, Ziva. She was snoring lightly, and her upper body was resting on his left forearm. Said forearm was tingling with the sensation that meant he was soon going to have to deal with pins and needles.

Last night pushed its way to the front of his mind, and a smile twitched at his mouth. _It was certainly shaking and pretty loud, _Tony thought, remembering the first verse of a song by the Scorpions.

He moved his arm out from under Ziva's body, who stirred and slowly blinked open her eyes. Seeing that Tony had put some space between them, she inched closer and nuzzled his neck in a wolfish gesture, a low growl in her throat that was almost a purr. "Don't move," she murmured, her teeth catching his earlobe. An involuntary groan escaped his lips as she continued to tease him. Would it be so wrong to break Rule Twelve even further, even if Gibbs didn't know that they were dating, let alone mates?

Tony was beginning to lose coherent thought as Ziva went lower, then lower still, sating her hunger. _Well, she did say she likes it on top . . . DiNozzo, you better stop this before it goes any further. _The trouble was, he didn't want her to stop. _But we have to._

"Ziva . . ."

She glanced up. "Yes, Tony?"

_More days to come  
__New places to go  
__I've got to leave  
__It's time for a show_

"Ziva, we'll have more days to do this. Right now we have to get ready for work."

"Nuh-huh. It's only five after five." Her dark brown eyes were dancing with evil mischief. "We don't have to be in until seven."

"Unless Gibbs calls us in early," Tony pointed out.

Her mouth found his, a warm tease of tongue. "I don't care."

As much as he hated to, he broke off the kiss and lurched up into a sitting position, reaching for his clothes. "Come on. You can make breakfast," Tony said, pretending he hadn't heard her snarl of protest.

"That works," Ziva said, reminding him of a puppy. Tony had to stifle a laugh. Already he couldn't wait for the day to be over.

_Here I am, rock you like a hurricane  
__Here I am, rock you like a hurricane_

_My body is burning  
__It starts to shout  
__Desire is coming  
__It breaks out loud_

Finally Gibbs had set the team free for the evening, and Tony couldn't wait for Ziva to come over fast enough. Of course, with their telepathic link he could always contact her over any distance, and she him.

He was waiting for her on the couch when his apartment door opened and in walked Ziva. She said, "Evening, Tony," and walked over, joining him on the couch. "What movie are we watching?"

"How about _Young Frankenstein_?"

She sent him a look that said, _Come on, really?_

"Hey, it's a Mel Brooks classic!"

"_21 Jump Street_?" she suggested.

"The TV series or the movie?"

"It was a TV series?"

Tony shook his head in mock despair. "Ziva, Ziva, Ziva. Where _were _you in the late eighties?"

"Mossad," she deadpanned.

"Oh, right. Would this have been before or after your transformation moon?"

"Before. Now, about the movie—" Ziva choked off her words as Tony suddenly leaned in closer. "Uh, Tony, what are you doing?"

"Forget the movie, and just be quiet," he growled, right before he kissed her, giving into the desire that had been burning through him. It wasn't long before he felt her begin to respond, her hands slipping under his shirt to play along the hard muscles of his back.

_Lust is in cages  
__Till storm breaks loose  
__Just have to make it  
__With someone I choose_

_The night is calling  
__I have to go_

He broke off the kiss only for the sake of moving his lips down her neck toward the collarbone. Tony was already so far gone in lust that he growled when Ziva's hands came between them, pushing him away. That wasn't what he wanted at all, and neither did his wolf.

"Tony, wait," Ziva ordered, her breath coming in short gasps as she struggled to recover. "Let's move this to your room, yeah?"

Tony nodded briefly and again was on her as soon as she was on her feet. The night was calling to the wolf inside him and there was no way he could resist. He didn't want to, anyway.

_The wolf is hungry  
__He runs the show  
__He's licking his lips  
__He's ready to win  
__On the hunt tonight  
__For love at first sting_

Tangled up in each other, they made their way into Tony's bedroom. To Tony, it seemed like he couldn't remove the clothes covering her fast enough. Both him and his wolf were hungry for her, and right now the wolf was running the show.

Ziva whined something incoherent as they fell back onto the bed and arched against him, her hips wriggling against his. As much as he wanted her, right now Tony was content with exploring her, teasing her. He murmured against her skin, "Not yet, Zee-vah. I want to see what makes you howl." His wolf licked its chops, clearly wanting to win this hunt.

She growled impatiently, her hands digging into the skin of his back, and shuddered as he slipped a hand between her thighs.

_Here I am, rock you like a hurricane  
__(Are you ready, ready, ready?)  
__Here I am, rock you like a hurricane  
__Here I am, rock you like a hurricane  
__(C'mon, c'mon baby!)  
__Here I am, rock you like a hurricane  
__Rock you like a hurricane!_

A low moan spilled from her throat as her muscles clamped down on the fingers inside her. "Tony, you're going to pay for this. I need—"

Ziva was cut off as he covered her mouth with his, the kiss hungry and deep, and kept his fingers where they could do the most good. Her eyes, when Tony finally had a good look at them, were almost black, the feral glint saying her wolf was way too close to the surface.

Both hands were running across her body now, nearly driving her insane. Before, there had always been a reason that she hadn't wanted to touch him too much, because making love to him could easily drive her crazy. But love bit, pleaded, brought her to her knees . . . and it was what Ziva—and the wolf inside her—needed.

_What do you need? _he thought, unwilling to break contact, however briefly.

_Just take me, _she replied, arching against him.

The way she did those things to him, how could he refuse? And he loved making her scream—or howl, whichever form they were in.

_It's early morning  
__The sun comes out  
__Last night was shaking  
__And pretty loud  
__My cat is purring  
__It scratched my skin  
__So what is wrong  
__With another sin_

Some time later, Tony was roused from a sound sleep. He wondered what had woken him and lay there for a few moments, listening hard. Tony didn't hear anything, and when he tasted the air, all he could smell was him and Ziva. It was still dark out, and a glance at the bedside alarm clock showed it was three in the morning, so late that it was early.

A small snore came from Ziva, causing him to look over at her, the noise she made almost like a purr. One of her arms was draped over his chest, and as the restless movement of her legs showed she was dreaming, one of her hands dug nails into his skin and came over his torso, scratching him, leaving her mark.

Suddenly DiNozzo was reminded of a scene in _Animal House_. He could almost imagine a devil-Tony popping up on his right shoulder, encouraging him to have his way with her, while an angel appeared on the left shoulder, warning him not to, as it could very well mean certain death. Tony ignored the angel and softly kissed Ziva's forehead, smoothing back some brown-black curls that had fallen in her eyes.

She stirred and slowly blinked open one eye. "What is it, Tony?"

"Nothing. Go back to sleep."

Instead he heard her inhale deeply, and Tony knew she was taking in his scent. She breathed against his skin, "I have a better idea," and pressed her lips to his throat.

_The night is calling  
__I have to go  
__The wolf is hungry  
__He runs the show  
__He's licking his lips  
__He's ready to win  
__On the hunt tonight  
__For love at first sting_

"Great idea," he managed, voice a husky growl. Again, his wolf was calling, hungry for her—all of her.

Tony felt her lips curve into a grin as she said, "This time I'm on top."

"Fine by me," he rasped. The wolf was licking his lips again, fully ready, wanting to win. It was hard enough for Tony to control his own body right now without having to deal with the beast that lurked within, and this really wasn't helping.

Rational thought processing soon became impossible as she did with him what she wanted and took her fill. Even then it wasn't enough. He could never have enough of her, not when he was so hot and sticky sweet.

_Sugar me, _he thought, remembering a Def Leppard song, and let everything go until it was just the two of them.

_Here I am, rock you like a hurricane  
__(Are you ready, ready, ready?)  
__Here I am, rock you like a hurricane  
__Here I am, rock you like a hurricane  
__(C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!)  
__Here I am, rock you like a hurricane  
__Here I am!_

* * *

Track Twenty-Seven: Run With the Wolf

_In the light of day  
__You can hear the old ones say  
__Was the sound last night the wind?  
__Can you feel the change begin?  
__By the fall of the show  
__A single soul will go  
__With foot steps on the white  
__There's an unholy light_

Ziva and Tony were taking a walk in the Navy Yard one night after work, neither of them willing to go home just yet, and paused when they overheard a couple of older NCIS agents. One of them said to the other, "What do you think that noise was last night? The wind?"

"No, it sounded like the howl of an animal to me," his companion replied thoughtfully.

The two Shifters exchanged worried looks. Had their howls really been that loud, or was it someone else? Was their secret safe?

Clouds overhead drifted away from where they were covering the full moon, sending moonlight beaming down on Ziva and Tony, an unholy light. At the same moment, they heard a low, keening cry. And even though they could transform at will and only the first shift was lunar-controlled, both of them could feel the change begin. Blazing hot energy rippled through their bodies, and in the next instant they were in wolf form, their clothes now ruined.

_What just happened? _Ziva's voice, quiet and shaky, filled Tony's mind.

He pressed against her side. _We shifted. I just don't know why._

_There's a hole in the sky  
__Something evil's passing by, what's to come?  
__When the siren calls you go  
__To run with the wolf_

Ziva whined softly and pawed at her muzzle. _You're saying you didn't think about shifting?_

_No. Did you?_

_Obviously not._

Both wolves' ears pricked up at the sound of a howl, one that was summoning the pack to its alpha. Tony glanced at Ziva. _Should we?_

She shrugged. _Might as well. Let's go. _Her tail whacked him on the nose as she bounded forward.

_Hey, no fair! _Tony cried, already running after her.

_All's fair in love and war._

_You would get that one right, _he grumbled.

_When the world makes a turn  
__The eyes of one will learn  
__That a sound just like the wind  
__Only makes the change begin  
__By the end of the rain  
__The feelings passed again  
__From the things that snap and bite  
__An unholy light_

The two Shifters weaved their way through the streets, finally stopping at an old abandoned church. Several other Shifters in wolf form were already there, although some had shifted back to human form and were dressed in cotton sweatpants and a sweatshirt. As a group, they all had the same scent, one that Tony and Ziva did not. In their own world, they were lone wolves, not belonging to any pack, but the NCIS team was very much like their own family—and pack.

_What are we doing here? _Ziva thought at Tony. _This is obviously a pack meeting; we don't belong here._

A reddish-brown she-wolf with hazel-green eyes trotted over to the NCIS agent and Mossad officer. _Hey, guys. _There was Russia in her voice, and she looked, smelled, and sounded familiar. It took a moment for both Ziva and Tony to say, _Meghan?_

CIA Agent Meghan Volkov dipped her head. _Yes, it's me. How are things at NCIS?_

_Fine, _Ziva replied, narrowing her eyes. _What are you doing here?_

_Where's Kort? _Tony added, his neck fur bristling at the thought of the CIA operative who'd blown up his car and almost had him killed.

_This is my pack, _Meghan answered Ziva. To Tony, she said, _He's around here somewhere. Why—did you want to see him?_

_No, I'm good, _Tony replied. _Hey, there's something I've been wanting to ask you: If you're CIA, how come you have a Russian accent?_

_I was born and raised here in __America__. I've been stationed in __Russia__ so long I guess I picked up the accent. Well, that and my parents immigrated here from __Russia__ before I was born._

_Oh. Well, any idea why we—Ziva and I—shifted when we heard the howl? I thought we could only shift whenever we wanted after we were touched by the full moon._

Meghan pawed at the ground. _You two have never been part of a pack before, have you?_

_I was back in __Israel__, _Ziva said.

_Not me, _said Tony. _My father moved me around a lot, often leaving me in boarding school or stuck in a hotel whenever he brought me along on a business trip._

Volkov sighed. _Well, when the alpha calls, you have to answer, do as he says. You have no choice. And Ziva, Tony? You should probably leave. Some wolves in the pack don't take kindly to lone wolves._

Ziva dipped her head and began padding away, signaling with a twitch of her ears for Tony to follow. A couple of Shifters noticed them and showed their teeth, hackles raised, but the NCIS and Mossad Shifters walked on calmly by. It was only when the abandoned church was out of sight that they broke into a trot.

_There's a hole in the sky  
__Something evil's passing by, what's to come?  
__When the siren calls you go  
__To run with the wolf_

_Well, that was weird, _Tony commented as they moved from a trot to a lope.

_Agreed. Can we just head back to the Navy Yard and go home? _Ziva asked.

_Sure, Sweetcheeks. _DiNozzo let out a yelp as she nipped at his flank. _Watch it! You almost got my tail!_

_Sorry. _She didn't sound sorry at all.

It took them maybe fifteen minutes to return to the Navy Yard. Shifting back, they dressed in what remained of their clothes and each went to their own car. Tony asked, "Do you want me to come over, Zee-vah?"

"Yes," she said without thinking. "But"—she held up a warning hand—"we're just going to sleep."

He flashed a wicked grin. "Of course we are."

_Oh boy, _she thought to herself, shielding her mind just this once. _Why did I say yes?_

_There's a break in the ground  
__Like the swirling waters  
__Angry as they pull you down  
__When the siren calls you go, yeah  
__To run with the wolf  
__Run with the wolf  
_

_Like a beast in a field  
__You know his fate is still  
__To run with the wolf  
__Oh, run with the wolf  
_

_Seas that make you know it's fate  
__Now we go  
__To run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run with the wolf  
__Run with the wolf  
__Run with the wolf  
__Run with the wolf  
__Run, run, run, there we go  
__Run, run, run, run  
__Run with the wolf_

* * *

Track Twenty-Eight: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

_Sweet dreams are made of this  
__Who am I to disagree  
__I travel the world  
__And the seven seas  
__Everybody's looking for something_

The sound of someone clearing their throat made Ziva glance up from her desk, only to see McGee standing there. "Yes, McGee? Can I help you with something?"

"Yeah. How 'bout you explain to me what you and Tony really are?" Tim leaned forward on her desk, his voice hard, eyes cold—and slightly scared, too.

She decided to feign ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do. Both of you chased me into a creepy old house to scare me half to death, and last night you were chasing after me again, only we ran into some freaking zombies! If I didn't know any better, I'd say the two of you are werewolves."

"Shifters," Ziva corrected automatically, wincing as she realized she'd just confirmed McGee's suspicions. Well, he was bound to have figured it out after they'd chased him the first time. _He must have seen us shift. _"We call ourselves Shifters."

Tim's eyebrows rose, and a grin slowly spread over his face. "I knew it! I knew I wasn't going crazy!"

"Who says you aren't, Elf Lord?" Tony cracked from his desk.

McGee glared at the senior field agent. "What are you gonna do, bite me?"

DiNozzo grinned. "Sorry, I don't go that way and besides, I think Abby would kill me if I did."

"You got that right, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, coming down from MTAC with his usual cup of coffee in hand. "What're you guys talking about?"

"McGee knows our secret, Boss."

Gibbs, who had taken a sip of coffee, nearly spewed the hot drink all over the place. "Say _what_?"

Ziva smiled and began humming the first few lines of an Eurythmics song. _Sweet dreams are made of this. Who am I to disagree?_

Everyone stared at her like she was nuts.

_Some of them want to use you  
__Some of them want to get used by you  
__Some of them want to abuse you  
__Some of them want to be abused  
__Ooh hey aha oh_

"Uh, Zi, you okay?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. Don't mind me. I just have a song trapped in my head." Suddenly her thoughts flashed to Chris Nixon, a guy they'd met on a case in October, and Jeanne Bentoit, Tony's ex-girlfriend who was the daughter of a French arms dealer. Those two Statics had been hoping to capture a Shifter, use them for their own gain. Tony and Ziva managed to foil their plans, but they weren't keen on giving up.

_Sweet dreams are made of this  
__Who am I to disagree?  
__I travel the world  
__And the seven seas  
__Everybody's looking for something _

_(Ooh ha oh oh)  
__(Hold your head up)_  
_(Keep your head up)  
__Movin' on  
__(Hold your head up)  
__Movin' on  
__(Keep your head up)  
__Movin' on  
__(Hold your head up)_  
_Movin' on  
__(Keep your head up)  
__Movin' on  
__(Hold your head up)  
__Movin' on  
__(Keep your head up)_

"Oh, really? What song? And it's 'stuck in my head' not 'trapped.'"

"'Sweet Dreams.'"

"Uh, okay," Tony said slowly. He glanced around. "Hey, where's Abby? She should hear this."

"Um, Tony, she already knows," Tim said. "I kinda told her that first night you guys scared me half to death."

Gibbs glanced at Tony and Ziva sharply. "You two did _what_?"

"Nothing," Ziva said quickly. "Can we move on now?"

The former Marine sighed. "Sure, might as well."

Suddenly there was a black-and-white blur as Abby Scuito came flying out of the elevator. "Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!"

"Yeah, Abby?"

"So, I was running a test on Tony and Ziva's blood—"

"Why?"

"I'll get to that later. Anyway, I suddenly noticed something odd about it. It's mostly wolf, but there's some human DNA mixed in."

Tony snorted. "You just noticed that, Abby? Our blood's always been like that."

_Some of them want to use you  
__Some of them want to get used by you  
__Some of them want to abuse you  
__Some of them want to be abused  
__Ooh hey aha oh ha ha_

_Sweet dreams are made of this  
__Who am I to disagree?  
__I travel the world and the seven seas  
__Everybody's looking for something  
_

_Sweet dreams are made of this  
__(Oh a)  
__Who am I to disagree?  
__(Oh oh)  
__I travel the world  
__(Oh oh)  
__And the seven seas  
__(Oh o)  
__Everybody's looking for something  
__(Oh o)_

"Really?" the Gothic forensic scientist said.

"Yeah. And like Tim told you, we _can _turn into wolves. It's genetic. You either have the gene or you don't." Tony pulled a face. "Unfortunately, some people we know want to use us for their own financial gain."

"It's true," Ziva added. She was still singing under her breath. "_Some of them want to use you. Some of them want to get used by you. Some of them want to abuse you. Some of them want to be abused."_

Abby's face lit up. "Is that by Eurythmics?"

"Yes."

"Great! I love that song!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Tony, Tim, and Gibbs muttered.

Abby turned on the three men with a frown. "Do you mind?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Tony said. "We'll leave you two to your little girl talk." He started to walk off, but Ziva stopped him with a growl. "You're not going anywhere."

DiNozzo halted in his tracks. "Yes, Ziva."

Gibbs's phone rang and he picked it up. After listening to the person on the other end, he slammed the phone down and said, "Gear up. We've got another case."

"Here we go," Tony said with a grin as the team grabbed their gear and followed the team leader.

_Sweet dreams are made of this  
__(Ha ha)  
__Who am I to disagree?  
__(Oh o)  
__I travel the world  
__(Hey)  
__And the seven seas  
__(Hey)  
__Everybody's looking for something  
__(Hey)_

_Sweet dreams are made of this  
__(Hey)  
__Who am I to disagree?  
__(Hey, hey, hey)  
__I travel the world  
__(Hey, hey)  
__And the seven seas  
__(Hey)  
__Everybody's looking for something  
__(Ho o)_

_Sweet dreams are made of this  
__(Ah a)  
__Who am I to disagree?  
__(Aa)  
__I travel the world  
__And the seven seas  
__Everybody's looking for something_

* * *

Track Twenty-Nine: What You Want

.Tony DiNozzo blinked open bloodshot green-gray eyes at the sound of their prison door sliding open. He still couldn't believe Jeanne and Chris had gotten the drop on him and Ziva David, or that they were being dumb enough to keep Ziva in the same cell as him. Had they learned nothing in Taking Prisoners 101?

Ziva's head lifted from his shoulder and she managed a growl of defiance at Jeanne, who had slid open the door. Tony eyed the brunette doctor warily, his hold tightening on Ziva's waist. They must have fallen asleep sometime during the night.

"What do you want, Jeanne?" He tried to sound threatening, but his throat was dry and his voice cracked. Both Shifters were dirty and sweaty and sported numerous bruises from where two muscle-bound goons had done a number on them, trying to force them to talk—or maybe shift forms. DiNozzo hoped Gibbs and McGee would find them soon; they'd been investigating a case when they were kidnapped, after all.

_Do what you want, if you have a dream for better  
__Do what you want till you don't want it anymore  
__(Remember who you really are)  
__Do what you want, your world's closing in on you now  
__(It isn't over)  
__Stand and face the unknown  
__(Got to remember who you really are)  
__Every heart in my hands like a pale reflection_

"You know what I want, Tony," she said cooly, crouching down so they were at eye level. One of her hands came up and rested on his cheek, her fingers stroking the bruises, running over a black eye.

Ziva snarled. "Get your hands off him." Even in her weakened state she was still strong and shoved Jeanne away with ease. _Nobody touches _my _mate but me._

"Ziva, easy," Tony muttered out of the side of his mouth. He was still hoping that they could somehow talk Jeanne out of this crazy scheme.

"Not bloody likely," she growled.

_Were you reading my mind? _he thought at her.

_No._

_Oh. Never mind, then._

Jeanne had gotten to her feet again and was staring at Ziva with pure malice. The look made Tony uneasy; now he knew there could be no hope of saving his former lover. He asked again, "What do you want, Jeanne?"

"Your secret to transforming," she said, her face paling a little at Ziva's warning growl.

"Afraid you're going to have to be disappointed," Tony said.

_Hello, hello, remember me?  
__I'm everything you can't control  
__Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe we can break through_

"And why is that?" Jeanne rested a hand on his cheek and let it run down the side of his neck, slipping a finger into a tear in his shirt. Ziva's growling grew louder and more intense. Even Tony was growing uncomfortable; he belonged to Ziva, not Jeanne. He jerked back, away from the green-eyed brunette's touch. "Jeanne, don't try to touch me again. You might not live if you do. And need I remind you that you can't control me?"

For the first time Jeanne seemed to notice that his arms were wrapped around Ziva, holding the female Shifter up against his body. Her green eyes narrowed to slits. "Ah, I see. Moved on already, have you, Tony?"

He didn't say anything; just gazed back at her with emotionless green-gray eyes, resisting the urge to snarl, to shift and wipe the smug look off her face. Well, it was what she deserved for snatching him and his partner and holding them captive. Tony hadn't meant to hurt her, but as much as he'd liked Jeanne, it wasn't love, not really.

After a long moment, Jeanne turned around and left. He watched her go sadly, knowing there was no way to turn her around. She'd made her choice.

_Do what you want, you don't have to buy your life down  
__(It isn't over)  
__Do what you want till you find what you've been looking for  
__(Got to remember who you really are)  
__But every hour slipping by screams that I have failed you_

_Hello, hello, remember me?  
__I'm everything you can't control  
__Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe_

_Hello, hello, remember me?  
_

Ziva and Tony spent the day alternately talking, sitting in silence, and drifting off into sleep. When Tony next woke, the room they were in was dark save for moonlight pooling silver on the hard concrete floor. As far as he could tell, they were in the basement of some building.

The sound of shuffling brought his attention over to Ziva, who was suddenly right next to him. "Ziva, what are you—"

"I'm cold," she said simply. "Hold me, would you?"

In response, he just wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, her body nestling against his. "Geez, Zi, you're freezing." Tony immediately began massaging her back, neck, and arm muscles in an effort to warm her, trying hard to ignore the fact that he could smell desire coming off Ziva's skin. Okay, yes, it was dark, but for all he knew they had surveillance cameras mounted on the walls. And he _did _want her, but right now it would be so very, very wrong . . .

On top of that, every hour that slipped by made him feel like he'd failed Jeanne in some way—which was ridiculous, of course. It was her own fault for being in this mess.

Tony could feel Ziva's muscles relaxing as he warmed them up ands he leaned even further into him, a low, throaty growl emerging from her. "Feels good," she murmured, eyes half-closed. Her head turned, and the next thing he knew, her lips were on his throat, trailing feather-light kisses down his neck.

"Ziva . . ." His voice trailed off as he just let go, let her have her way. The wolf inside was howling for more, but since they might be under surveillance, Tony wasn't sure this was the place or time.

"You're so sure Chris won't post this on YouTube?" he joked once they came up for air.

"The images won't be very clear in the dark like this," Ziva replied. "And you _are _warming me up." She nuzzled his neck, growling with frustration as she met the collar of his T-shirt.

"Ziva"—he pushed her back a little—"it's not that I don't want to do this, but considering the situation we're in, this isn't the right time. We have to wait for Gibbs and McGee to find us."

"Remember how long it took when we were boxed in?" she reminded him.

He really didn't need the reminder of what they'd done—or almost done—in that metal shipping container. "Hey, you were a pretty good shot."

She chuckled at that. "Those men never stood a chance." Tony heard her yawn. "Well, night, Tony." With that, she slumped against him and was out cold. DiNozzo, on the other hand, couldn't quite fall asleep just yet. He hoped there was still _some _good inside of Jeanne; she'd become a doctor to help people, not kill them. And with him being part wolf, there was no way she could control him. The only people who could do that were Ziva and Gibbs, and sometimes not even them.

_I'm everything you can't control  
__Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe  
__There's still time  
__Close your eyes  
__Only love will guide you home  
__Tear down the walls and free your soul  
__Till we crash we're forever spiraling down, down, down, down_

He stirred awake at the smell of food—bacon, eggs, and hash browns—and somehow wasn't surprised to see who had brought them breakfast: the doctor from hell.

"Hello, Jeanne," Tony said, barely managing to hold back a growl.

"Here's breakfast," she said quietly, averting her gaze. "You sleep okay last night?"

"Fine, thanks. Jeanne, why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?"

She slid their breakfast under the door. "That night in the alley, what you did to those two men, it scared me. I was afraid you would turn on me, and, well, I'm jealous. Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are as a wolf? I want that, Tony."

Tony sighed and stared at her in a sort of stunned silence. "There's still time to stop this. You don't have to go along with all this, Jeanne. If you let me and Ziva go—"

"Why should I?" She laughed bitterly. "You only care about her, don't you? You never loved me. Even when we were together I got the feeling your mind was somewhere else. But then, it wasn't really _you_ I was with, was it? I was with Tony DiNardo, not Anthony DiNozzo."

The Shifter cast a glance at his mate, who was still asleep. He was surprised she hadn't woken up by now; Ziva was usually the first one awake in the morning. "You're right. It wasn't real between me and you, Jeanne. I was undercover; I had no choice."

"Do all your undercover jobs include seducing women?" There was scorn in her voice.

"No. And no one on the team knew about it until my car was blown up. Now please, Jeanne, let us go."

A sad smile curled her lips. "Sorry, Tony. I can't do that. Have a nice day." She turned and walked away, not looking back even when he lunged at the bars of the cage, pleading with her to come back and set them free. After realizing it would do nothing except create a cycle of bruises and healing, he slumped to the ground. His only thought was, _Gibbs, find us. Please. Hurry. We might not have much time._

_Hello, hello, it's only me  
__Infecting everything you love  
__Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe  
__Hello, hello, remember me?  
__I'm everything you can't control  
__Somewhere beyond the paint there must be a way to learn forgiveness  
__Hello, hello, remember me?  
__I'm everything you can't control  
__Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe we can break through_

* * *

Track Thirty: One Wild Night

_It's a hot night, the natives are restless  
__We're sweating by the light of the moon  
__There's a voodoo mojo brewin' at the goto  
__That could knock a witch off her broom_

The members of Team Gibbs glanced around the entrance to the crowded mansion suspiciously. Two of its agents, Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David, also looked up occasionally to the full moon barely visible in the night sky because of the tall buildings in Washington, D.C. Music blared from the large house, and instantly both Tim McGee and Tony recognized it as "One Wild Night" by Bon Jovi. DiNozzo had to bite back a groan; this song really wasn't helping him right now. Like the song said, it was a hot night and he _was _sweating by the light of the moon, but so was Ziva, and it wasn't for the reason the song implied. They were Shifters, and on full moon nights, it was almost impossible to keep the wolf inside under control. DiNozzo felt hot, itchy, and the urge to shift into his wolf form was consuming him. But he couldn't shift in public, not without revealing his kind's existence to the rest of the world. Then again, it was Halloween—and thankfully they'd all recovered from the terrorist attack on NCIS Headquarters in the Navy Yard a few months before—so maybe he and Ziva wouldn't stand out too much.

"Come on," Gibbs's voice broke into his rambling thoughts. "Let's go look for our kidnapping suspect." The team leader walked forward confidently, SIG Sauer holstered at his hip, NCIS cap perched on his head, his black jacket proudly bearing the badge that identified him as a federal agent of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. His team members were all dressed in pretty much the same way save for the shirts and pants they were wearing underneath the jacket.

Both Tony and Ziva took a step and found themselves directly in the path of the moon. The Israeli Shifter's breath was drawn in a hiss, and Tony released a tiny growl of his own as his already-hot body burned up even more. Dimly he was aware that the song was still playing—had been—but he could care less at the moment. All he wanted was for him and his partner/mate to be _out _of the moon's glare.

_We slither on in, we shed our skin  
__Make our way into the bump and the grind  
__So I'm passing by, she gives me the eye  
__So I stop to give her a light_

"Let's hurry up and get in," Ziva muttered to him.

Tony nodded acknowledgment and together they slithered on in, easing into the front of the group. Gibbs just raised a single eyebrow before he looked up at the full moon. Understanding dawned in his eyes and the eyebrow went back into its normal position.

The team split up once they were in the mansion, Ziva with Tony and McGee paired up with Gibbs. Of course, they had to deal with jerks commenting that they'd spelled CSI wrong on their NCIS caps. The NCIS agents would just flash their badges and say they were looking for a Roger Fuller.

One woman dressed as a vampire—a very good-looking one—was giving DiNozzo the eye. Normally, he would have stopped to flirt with her, but since he was with Ziva and full moon nights made him edgy, he just gave her a passing glance before starting to walk by.

"Hey!" she called after the two agents. "I think I know who you're looking for."

Both Shifters whirled around. Ziva said, "Where is he?"

The vamp was still eyeing Tony. "Maybe I'll tell you if you give me a light." Already she was pulling a cigarette out from its pack.

"Sorry, we don't smoke," DiNozzo said, ignoring Ziva's warning growl. To anyone else, it sounded like she was clearing his throat. "Now, Roger Fuller. Where is he?"

"He's the Klingon over there." The vampire jerked her head toward a crowd of partygoers. Tony and Ziva glanced at each other, and then walked over, ignoring the woman when she shouted something suggestive after DiNozzo.

_One wild night  
__(Blinded by the moonlight)  
__One wild night  
__(Twenty-four hours of __midnight__)  
__One wild night  
__(I stepped into the twilight zone)  
__(And she left my heart with vertigo)  
__One wild, one wild night_

"Do you ever get tired of the women who—what's the term?—throw themselves at you?" Ziva asked Tony.

"Yeah," he replied, "especially since you're my mate and can easily kill anyone in several different ways if you put your mind to it."

She smiled. "Good answer."

"Thanks. You want to tell Gibbs we might have found him?"

The Israeli Shifter flashed him a wicked grin. "We can always tell him later. Besides, I like this song. Let's dance, DiNozzo."

It was only then that he realized "One Wild Night" was still playing. Not that he really minded: Bon Jovi rocked—sometimes.

_Havin' as much fun as you can in your clothes  
__Margarita had me feelin' alright  
__It just might be that I found religion  
__I've been on my knees for half of the night  
_

_I was rollin' the bones with Jimmy no dice  
__Gonna take him for a couple weeks pay  
__Man if you lose this roll  
__I take your girlfriend home well alright_

At those two verses, Tony had to hold in a burst of laughter. They were here on business, after all. (Seriously, he could so see that happening to Jimmy Palmer—Dr. Mallard's assistant. The mental images alone were enough to make him crack up laughing.)

_One wild night  
__(Blinded by the moonlight)  
__One wild night  
__(Twenty-four hours of __midnight__)  
__One wild night  
__(I stepped into the twilight zone)  
__(And she left my heart with vertigo)  
_

_One wild night  
__(Hey c'est la vie)  
__One wild night  
__(Welcome to the party)  
__One wild night  
__(Life is for the living so)  
__(You gotta live it up come on let's go)  
__One wild, one wild, one wild, one wild night_

"Hate to admit that, but it's true," Tony heard Ziva shout over the music.

_No kidding_, he replied over their bond, knowing she probably wouldn't be able to hear him if he spoke aloud.

"Hey, you two!" Gibbs shouted. "Cut it out and get to work!"

The two Shifters, embarrassed, abruptly stopped dancing and whirled around to see the team leader stalking toward them. Ziva was pretty sure Gibbs was at least half Shifter, or had some Shifter blood in him. If he _did _have the Shifter gene, one bite from a wolf would activate it. Well, either that or sleeping with a Shifter.

Yeah, like that would ever happen.

In any case, their suspect was soon cornered. When they finally figured out he knew nothing about the kidnapping, the team left.

Tony and Ziva, however, were still feeling the effects of the full moon.

_Talk about one wild night_, Tony thought at her. Ziva smirked and flashed him a smile, her teeth white in the darkness.

He definitely couldn't wait until they were off the clock.

_One wild night  
__(Blinded by the moonlight)  
__One wild night  
__(Twenty-four hours of __midnight__)  
__One wild night  
__(I stepped into the twilight zone)  
__(And she left my heart with vertigo)_

_One wild night  
__(Hey c'est la vie)  
__One wild night  
__(Welcome to the party)  
__One wild night  
__(Life is for the living so)  
__(You gotta live it up, come on let's go)_

_One wild night  
__One wild night  
__One wild night  
__One wild night  
_

_One wild night  
__(Blinded by the moonlight)  
__One wild night  
__(Twenty-four hours of __midnight__)  
__One wild night  
__(I stepped into the twilight zone)  
__For one wild, one wild, one wild, one wild night_

* * *

Track Thirty-One: Hungry Like the Wolf

_Dark in the city night is a wire  
__Steam in the subway earth is afire  
__Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo  
__Woman you want me give me a sign  
__And catch my breathing even closer behind  
__Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo _

Green-gray eyes tracked the brunette woman as she walked through the dark city night. Cloaked in shadows, their owner shifted slightly and followed her. Uppermost in mind was one rule he'd been taught: There are two ways to follow someone. First way—they never notice you. Second way—they only notice you. He was going for the first way to follow someone.

What with Ziva David's ninja Mossad senses and her own inner wolf, though, that was very hard for Tony –or anyone—to do.

_In touch with the ground  
__I'm on the hunt I'm after you  
__Smell like I sound  
I'm lost in a crowd.  
__And I'm hungry like the wolf. _

_Straddle the line in discord and rhyme  
__I'm on the hunt I'm after you.  
__Mouth is alive with juices like wine  
__And I'm hungry like the wolf _

_Where's she going? _Tony wondered, even as he called on his wolf skills to tread silently behind his partner—and mate. It probably wouldn't take long for Ziva to notice she was being tailed: When they were in human form, they retained many aspects of their wolf shape, heightened senses being one of them. Incredible speed and reflexes were another, though they were only able to heal rapidly when in lupine form.

In any case, they were moving out of the subway and into the open streets, heading toward a park in one of the nearby neighborhoods. He felt better almost instantly. Although Tony had always lived in the city and claimed to hate the wilderness, the truth was that sometimes he felt hemmed in by the tall concrete-and-steel buildings.

His wolf, however, was focused on only one thing: Ziva. Well, so was his human side, but it was the animal that had initiated this little hunting trip—and he found that the human half of him wasn't putting up much resistance. He was already salivating, hungry for her—every inch of her.

_Stalked in the forest too close to hide  
__I'll be upon you by the moonlight side  
__Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo  
__High blood drumming on your skin it's so tight  
__You feel my heat I'm just a moment behind  
__Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo _

When Ziva was in the relative safety of some trees, she stopped walking abruptly and whirled around. Tony, who hadn't been expecting her to stop, froze instantly, realizing just a hair too late that she could see him clearly.

Not good. Not good at all.

"Well, Tony?" she asked suddenly, her voice carrying clearly in the silence. "What are you waiting for?"

_How did she—?_

"I caught your scent a while back," Ziva explained, "and you're not exactly the stealthiest agent around."

"Will you quit reading my mind?" he snapped, moving forward until he was a few feet away from her.

A smirk twitched at her lips. "Sorry, I'll sometimes catch a thought. It's not my fault, really."

"Ah." Why couldn't he come up with something better than that?

It didn't matter, since one of them—he couldn't remember who—had closed the few feet between them. Then Ziva had leaned in, or he did, or . . . did it matter? The touch, taste, smell of her assaulted his senses—and he wanted more.

Moonlight washed pale silver over glistening, tight skin as they sank down into the grass; their bodies intertwined in far too intimate ways while they sated their hunger.

_In touch with the ground  
__I'm on the hunt I'm after you  
__Scent and a sound.  
I'm lost and I'm found  
__And I'm hungry like the wolf. _

_Strut on a line it's discord and rhyme  
__I howl and I whine I'm after you  
__Mouth is alive all running inside  
__And I'm hungry like the wolf. _

_Hungry like the wolf  
__Hungry like the wolf  
__Hungry like the wolf _

_Burning the ground  
I break from the crowd  
__I'm on the hunt I'm after you  
__I smell like I sound.  
I'm lost and I'm found  
__And I'm hungry like the wolf _

_Strut on a line it's discord and rhyme  
__I'm on the hunt I'm after you  
__Mouth is alive with juices like wine  
__And I'm hungry like the wolf_

* * *

Track Thirty-Two: Ring of Fire

_Thunder, you're tempting me  
__A feast of spice in the night is what I need  
__Ooh, I'm a-ready to roar  
__And I'm a-ready for more  
__Well I'm a-ready to burn like the light into the dawn_

Night washed the windows in the NCIS building with black. Tony DiNozzo glanced over from his monitor to look at the agent sitting across from him: Ziva David, his Israeli partner—and mate. She was dressed in a black shirt and jeans—very casual wear for her—and looked so good that he wondered how she could stand it.

A quick look at his watch showed it was nine o'clock. As if on cue, Gibbs tossed the pencil he'd been using on top of his desk and said, "Go home, everyone."

"Boss?" Timothy McGee looked at the team leader in confusion.

"It's end of shift, McGee," Gibbs said. "Go home. Get some sleep."

With one glance at Ziva, Tony was sure he wouldn't be having any sleep tonight. She was just too tempting. And with that thought, he could feel himself harden even as flame licked at his abdomen.

Tony wasn't sure he could last until they made it to her apartment—his wolf was already howling.

_Oh I gotta see the fire in me turning into ecstasy  
__So stick around and settle down, enjoy the mystery  
__A voice in the wilderness, there's something in the air  
__A hidden love, forbidden pleasure, suffer secret pain_

_Thunder—Are you ready, ready for thunder?  
__Feels like fire—Are you ready, ready for thunder?  
__Ring of fire_

Somehow—he wasn't sure how—they _did _manage to make it into Ziva's apartment. He'd managed to wrestle his wolf so it was back under his control, but he wasn't sure he could restrain it for much longer. He needed . . . Actually, he wasn't sure _what _he needed. Ziva? The transformation? To be a wolf for a while?

"Are you feeling okay, Tony?" Ziva asked; her voice cut through the haze in his mind.

Because he needed some space, he walked over to the couch and flopped down onto it. "I don't know. It's like I have so much energy that I have to do _something _or I'll explode." His green-gray eyes were haunted, wild, and burning as he looked up at her.

Ziva sat next to him, the couch cushions sagging under their combined weight. "I know," she said quietly. "My wolf's restless too."

He looked over at her, saw that her fudge-colored eyes had darkened to black—bedroom eyes. "Ziva . . ." Her name was a hiss of air from his lungs.

She leaned in, teased him by hovering her lips close to his. That wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to taste her, feel her, be inside her . . . So he closed what little distance there was and covered her mouth with his.

As soon as he did, Tony felt as if he was drowning in fire. Not that it mattered, because it was swiftly turning into ecstasy.

_Heartless, so indiscreet  
__And you're stealin' up from behind, a raging heat  
__I'm staring into the sun  
__I'm staring into a gun  
__I'm stirring up a storm, turn it on and let it burn_

Clothes were quickly discarded, and time dissolved into sensations: skin on skin; raging heat; feral sounds as both their wolves came out to play.

And they went with the storm; let it have its way.

_Oh I gotta see the fire in me turning into ecstasy_

_So stick around and settle down, enjoy the mystery  
__A voice in the wilderness, there's something in the air  
__A hidden love, forbidden pleasure, suffer secret pain_

_Thunder—Are you ready, ready for thunder?  
__Feels like fire—are you ready, ready for thunder?  
__Ring of fire—Are you ready, ready for thunder?  
__Oh, feels like fire—Are you ready, ready for thunder?  
__Ring of fire_

At last, spent, they just rested, bodies limp and nestled against each other. Tony lifted his head slightly, met Ziva's eyes. "That was—"

"Don't say anything; you'll just ruin it," she warned.

He smiled a little. "Sorry." Tony pushed off her, reaching for his clothes. "How's your wolf doing?"

"She's a bit calmer," Ziva admitted, sitting up and reaching for her clothes as well. As she began pulling them on, she asked, "And yours?"

"He's still a little restless. I think I need to shift, be in wolf form for a while."

For a second, Ziva looked like she was going to say something, but she nodded and finished dressing. "All right. You know where to find me, then." She rose from the couch and headed into her bedroom. Tony's green-gray eyes tracked her before he shifted into wolf form. He lay there on the couch, his head resting on his paws.

The lyrics to a Def Leppard B-side rang in his head, and his lips pulled back in a wolfish smile. _"A voice in the wilderness, there's something in the air. A hidden love, forbidden pleasure, suffer secret pain." In our cases, that's so true. If Gibbs ever found out that we've broken Rule Twelve . . . Then there's our first transformation—and that was as painful as all git-out. Hurt like hell. _He suddenly sneezed violently, his whole body convulsing. _Jesus. Hey, watch it, DiNozzo, you're talking to yourself. Great. I must be going crazy. Well, I can turn into a wolf, so how would I know what "crazy" is? Just do yourself a favor and stop while you're ahead because now you're starting to sound like Abby._

Tony shook his head decisively and jumped down off the couch. Suddenly, he was warm, really warm. It was as if there was a fire inside the room—only, there was no fire.

The brown wolf walked on silent paws into Ziva's bedroom and jumped up onto her bed. He nosed his way under the covers before shifting back into human form. Ziva, already asleep, drowsily lifted one arm and draped it over him before falling back into dreamland. A small smile crossed his face. _Ring of fire indeed, _he thought, remembering the name of the song.

Then drowsiness overcame him and he sank into dreams with her. And, when they woke in the morning, slid into love.

_Thunder, you tempted me  
__You cut me up like a knife so tenderly  
__Oh I gotta see the fire in me burning up my ecstasy  
__A hidden love, forbidden pleasure, suffer secretly_

_Oh no!—Are you ready, ready for thunder?  
__Feels like fire—are you ready, ready for thunder?  
__Ring of fire—Are you ready, ready for thunder?  
__Feels like fire—are you ready, ready for thunder?  
__Ring of fire  
__Yeah, yeah, yeah _

* * *

Track Thirty-Three: Bad Boys

_I know you, you know me  
__I'm the black sheep of the family  
__I'm in an' out of trouble  
__I'm the talk of the town  
__I get wild in the street  
__When the sun goes down  
__I steal around, like a thief in the night  
__Dancing 'til the break of day _

Eighteen-year-old Anthony DiNozzo Jr. (known to his friends as Tony) glanced around the corner of the alley into the street to make sure the coast was clear before he looked back at the other teenagers—a group of four, all males—and mouthed, "All clear."

Their teeth flashed white in the semi-darkness as something feral glinted in their eyes. In the next few seconds they were stripping and transforming with a quick shimmer into wolves. Tony quickly followed their lead. He'd only been able to shift for a month, but he loved several aspects of his new form. It was still his mind in wolf shape, though he had the wolf's instincts as well as his human mind. Part of the reason—he suspected—that they didn't shift until late teens was so that they could learn to be human before they turned wolf, so they could control the animal's instincts.

The pack moved off. Tony shook himself quickly before loping after them. Really, he wasn't sure why he had joined up with this group of younger pack members. Okay, maybe he did: He wanted his father to notice him, and running around town, getting into trouble, seemed like a good way to do it.

His new packmates had started to head toward a local teen hangout, and Tony shifted back into human form before following. Honestly, how stupid were they? Wandering the streets as wolves, teasing and scaring the Statics—that was one of the dumbest ideas he'd ever heard. (Although, it _did _sound like fun. . . .)

Tony shook his head to clear it, only just realizing that he had no clothes: They were back in the alley where he'd first shifted. With a sigh, he morphed to wolf again and took off at a trot to where he'd left his clothes. Really, there were times he preferred his wolf form to his human one, but at the moment, a pack of wolves running around WashingtonD.C. at night seemed a little conspicuous.

In no time, he was dressed and following the pack—again. For a moment, he lost track of them when he reached the mall.

Then the screaming began, and he knew right where to find them. A smirk spread across his face before he broke into a run, fighting a ridiculous urge to cry _Allons-y!_ (He didn't even _like Doctor Who_! That was Timothy McGee's department.) Anyway, the point was that going a little wild right now seemed like a fantastic idea.

_Bad boys,  
__Running undercover of moonlight  
__Bad, bad boys,  
__Getting wild in the street,  
__Wild in the city _

Tony found the rest of the pack in wolf form snapping at the heels of terrified girls. A slight frown tugged at his mouth, but it was quickly replaced by something else—he wasn't sure what. He thought, _What are they doing? We're not supposed to reveal ourselves to Statics. If we do, we're either kicked out of the pack or killed. _Green-gray eyes suddenly stormy, he stalked over to his friends—or, at least, the Shifters he'd thought were his friends—and stared down the unofficial leader of the group. Without looking behind him, he told the two girls, "Run."

They did.

When he was sure they were gone, Tony said in a conversational tone to the golden-brown leader, "You guys might want to demorph. Wolves running around a mall have a slight tendency to be noticed."

The wolf in front of him sneezed in a sarcastic way before slinking off, the other three trailing after him. Tony rolled his eyes before following, not caring that he was on the receiving end of odd looks from passerby.

Minutes later, the five of them (back in human form) were running out into the warm night, the amber-lit streets. If he looked up, Tony could just barely see the half-moon floating in the sky. A smile twitched at his lips as he remembered a few lines of a Whitesnake song; then it was gone as he lost himself in the sensation of being with the _pack_.

_I see you, you see me  
__Just a black street boy in society  
__With high-heeled women full of champagne an' lies,  
__Getting wild in the street  
__'Til the hot sunrise  
__Stealing round like a thief in the night  
__Dancing 'til the break of day _

The next night, they had managed to sneak into a RSVP-only party, courtesy of Tony's dad. Tony wasn't all that fond of DiNozzo Senior, but he _did _have his uses sometimes—and in this case, he was grateful that his father was a conman with connections.

A beautiful woman caught his eye; his head turned to track her as she passed him—low-cut red dress, high heels, shining black hair that swept past her shoulders in gentle curls, and a flute of champagne in each hand. Then he caught her scent: She was a Static, a human, locked forever in the same form.

It wasn't as if he'd had a chance with her, anyway.

Tony swept his eyes around the room, searching for his packmates. To be honest, he wasn't sure why a group of eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds hadn't been kicked out of here already, even if they _were _dressed up somewhat. (He hated it; he preferred to be in jeans and a sweatshirt.) What was he even _doing _there, anyway? He shouldn't be here; he shouldn't be mingling with Statics; he should be outside on the streets mucking about.

In a daze, Tony walked out of the building—he couldn't remember if it was a mansion or what, and at this point he didn't care—and into the cool night. Without bothering to check if anyone was watching, he broke into a jog and shifted forms. There was a club he knew of a couple miles away, and with luck, he would be there in about ten minutes.

-oOo-

Music and heat and lights assaulted Tony's senses even before he shifted back to human. His clothes weren't that bad, thankfully, since normally he couldn't morph with clothing on. Maybe if it was something skintight . . . On second thought, bad idea. He'd never looked good in spandex. In any case, this dress shirt and slacks might get him in easier—and it did.

Once inside, he gave in to the overwhelming assault on his sight and hearing and let himself be washed away in the crowd, flashing strobe lights, and blasting rock music. Some of the bathrooms (and teens) reeked of acid and cocaine, and his nose scrunched up at the distasteful scent. He dreaded the day when he had to get his nerve from powder or certain plants.

As he eyed a stripper, Tony could hear Def Leppard's "Excitable" being played over the sound system. Great. With his luck, the next song to come on would be "Pour Some Sugar on Me." Not that he minded, because it was a cool song, but was "Excitable" even still played on the radio anymore? No, probably not. The only ones you heard anymore were the singles from _Pyromania _and _Hysteria_, though he'd heard "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" from _High 'n' Dry_ on occasion.

His wolf was drooling, licking its chops at the meat on her bones, and Tony swiftly averted his gaze. Wolves had never attacked humans—although he wasn't a true wolf, not really—and he was not about to enforce the stereotype that they did.

Tony was suddenly caught from behind by an attractive teenage girl. He could tell almost instantly that she was a Shifter, but there was none of the spark that said she was his mate. (Not that he was looking for one, of course. At least, not yet.) He spun around, taking in her blue eyes, tan skin, and long blonde hair in a heartbeat, and the thought crossed his mind that he would at least feel comfortable dancing with her.

"Dance with me?" she asked, tilting her head flirtatiously as her fingers creeped up his arms to wrap around the back of his neck.

A few lines of the song caught Tony's ear: _Come on and let's go, oh baby, don't say no. I'm gonna get you excitable. . . ._

Given the way he was feeling at the moment, he couldn't think of a single reason why he shouldn't dance with her. She was certainly pretty, a Shifter, and it was quickly becoming clear that she sure knew how to move.

So they did, dancing until the club closed at dawn.

_Bad boys,  
__Running undercover of moonlight  
__Bad, bad boys,  
__Getting wild in the street,  
__Wild in the city,  
__Wild in the city,  
__Wild in the city  
_

_Bad, bad boys,  
__Running undercover of moonlight  
__Bad, bad boys,  
__Getting wild in the street,  
__Wild in the city _

_I know you, you know me  
__I'm the black sheep of the family,  
__I'm in an' out of trouble  
__I'm the talk of the town  
__I get wild in the street  
__When the sun goes down _

_I don't care what the people think,  
__I can't hear what the people say,  
__I steal around like a thief in the night  
__Dancing 'til the break of day _

It wasn't as if his father cared about him. In fact, Tony was pretty sure his father would let him get away with murder. It wasn't as if he _wanted _his father to _notice _him _for once in his life_, instead of leaving him in hotel rooms while DiNozzo Senior was off on a "business meeting." Hah! It was more likely he'd be shagging the pretty female receptionist than ever meet with legitimate suits.

As for Tony's acting out (and if DiNozzo Senior ever found about some of the stuff he was up to), he could always outrun his father in either human or wolf form. It was highly unlikely that Senior ever _would _find out, anyway. No one else in Tony's latest pack would be stupid enough to tell an older wolf what went down while they stole around like thieves in the night, running undercover of silver moonlight. The Moon looked after her own, always had, always would.

_Bad, bad boys,  
__Running undercover of moonlight  
__Bad, bad boys,  
__Getting wild in the street,  
__Bad, bad, bad boys,  
__Running undercover of moonlight  
__Bad, bad boys,  
__Getting wild in the street,  
__Wild in the city  
__Undercover of moonlight . . ._

* * *

Track Thirty-Four: Tonight

_Aahhhh . . .  
__Ooooooh . . ._

_I don't wanna play the waiting game  
__And drift away, leaving an illusion  
__I don't wanna hide, it's foolish pride  
__To close my eyes, a touch away from wanting you_

Silver moonlight mingled with golden lamplight in the dim room, illuminating just enough that the two figures there were able to see each other. They would have been able to see each other, anyway, given their night vision was as keen as that of a wolf.

Tony glanced over from the TV screen where _Goldfinger _was playing to Ziva, only to see that she was engrossed in _Animal Farm_, one of her favorite novels. The senior field agent on NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs's team had taken over the couch, while Ziva was curled up in a comfortable chair in her apartment. She glanced up from her book, her brown eyes meeting his green-gray ones, and it was all he could do not to close his eyes as he was so close to losing control. He was tired of waiting, of playing this game, when he knew they both needed contact.

_Don't try to look away when you're face to face  
__I see your eyes, that animal emotion  
__You don't have to set your tender trap  
__It's in those eyes, it's gonna happen anyway_

"Did you want something, Tony?" Ziva asked, marking her page and setting the book aside.

His mouth had suddenly gone dry, and he found he couldn't look away. "Um, yeah," he managed.

Ziva rose from the recliner, her legs unfurling with predatory grace, and stalked over to him. "What?" Her voice had dropped, turned husky. Tony scrabbled to his feet, noticing as he did so the hungry gleam and shadow of the wolf in her eyes.

There was no need for that, since what he had in mind was already in motion.

_Movin' to the rhythm of your heartbeat  
__Yeah, I'm wantin', willin', touchin' you, we'll be  
__Movin' to the rhythm of your heartbeat  
__Oh babe, when you get that rhythm  
__Gonna move into your room_

"What do you want, Tony?" Ziva asked, still in that husky tone. It reminded him too much of when they'd been undercover as married assassins. Then again . . . that was probably what she was going for.

And why couldn't he answer her with words? He gave up on speech after a few milliseconds and settled on pulling her mouth to his for a passionate kiss.

Ziva responded by wrapping her hands around his neck and moving closer so she was pressed up against him. He could feel her heart pounding an allegro tempo in her chest, smell the pheromones that belied desire . . . and he wanted more, _needed _more.

So he began maneuvering her to her room, their clothes leaving a trail on the floor.

_Tonight—give me love with no disguise  
__Tonight—I see the fire in your eyes  
__Tonight—I wanna win the greatest prize  
__Tonight—so right, this night, could it be dynamite  
__Wait and see, if it pleases you it pleases me_

Ziva's bedroom was completely dark, but that didn't bother the two Shifters. Besides, given that their world had just contracted to the two of them, a bomb could have destroyed the Navy Yard and they wouldn't have noticed. Well, maybe. The Navy Yard and NCIS headquarters were their home territory, practically their camp.

None of that mattered right now. Sights, smells, and sensations all blurred together, though Tony caught a flash of fire in Ziva's dark brown eyes. He grinned wolfishly and switched positions so he was on top, continuing to explore and pleasure her. It was all he wanted, really, because it wasn't just to please her: it was for him, as well.

_There's nothing I can say, it's no mystery  
__It's in your eyes, those eyes are where I wanted them  
__So give me heart and soul, I lose control  
__Can't stop my eyes from falling into fantasy_

At some point, he found he was staring into her eyes again. Their dark brown color was now almost black with both desire and the feral glint of her wolf. Tony found he couldn't say anything, because any words that came out of his mouth would have sounded trite and meaningless. So instead, as she gave herself to him, he found he was losing control over both his humanity and his wolf as he surrendered to his desire and fantasies, the feel of Ziva's hot flesh brushing against his.

_Movin' to the rhythm of your heartbeat  
__Oh, I'm wantin', willin', touchin' you, we'll be  
__Movin' to the rhythm of your heartbeat  
__Oh yeah, when you get that rhythm  
__Gonna move into your room_

_Tonight—give me love with no disguise  
__Tonight—I see the fire in your eyes  
__Tonight—so right, this night could it be dynamite  
__Wait and see_

Mouths, teeth, tongues glided across skin slick with sweat. Tony couldn't help releasing a low groan that quickly turned into a growl of pleasure as he finally slid inside her, found her rhythm. Her nails dug into his skin, raked across his back. They would leave marks, but he didn't mind.

At last, spent, with the aftershocks trembling through him, he lay next to her, stroking her dark hair and breathing in her scent. The last thing he thought as he drifted into dreamland was _Love begs, love pleads—it's what I need. . . ._

_Check it out_

_Tonight—give me love with no disguise  
__Tonight—I see the fire in your eyes  
__Tonight—I wanna win the greatest prize  
__Tonight—so right, this night, could it be dynamite  
__Wait and see, if it pleases you it pleases me_

* * *

Track Thirty-Five: Desert Song

_Dark and dirty, like you've never seen  
__A mind so twisted, with thoughts so unclean  
__My heart is racing all tattered and torn  
__I stand here naked as the day I was born _

Dark guitar chords and voices filled the dimly lit room. Chris Nixon shook a stray strand of blond hair out of his hazel eyes and continued setting up his makeshift laboratory. His partner, Dr. Jeanne Bentoit, had been essential to his plans in nicking some of the hospital's extra microscopes and medical equipment. As an ER doctor, she could make sure that the equipment wasn't filed as missing for quite some time; and anyway, since the ER was very fast-paced, equipment could go missing without being noticed. In any case, it worked for him and their plans.

The two of them wanted to capture a lycanthrope—a werewolf—and study it. They were so, so close already, since they already knew of one in the D.C. area: Tony DiNardo, Jeanne's ex-boyfriend—or, more accurately, Anthony DiNozzo, a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Chris had first met him when he was a suspect in a murder investigation—the death of his friend Petty Officer Phoebe Madison, a drug dealer. Eventually, it turned out that his other "friend", an ATF agent by the name of Ethan Keane, had killed her, which let Chris off the hook. Fine by him, though he _was _a little disappointed that Keane had been discovered. It was Keane, after all, who had told Chris that werewolves existed—though they called themselves Shifters—and suggested that he keep an eye on Special Agent DiNozzo and his partner, Ziva David. While following Tony, he'd seen him meet up with Jeanne, then witnessed Jeanne throwing Tony out of her apartment. When Chris finally contacted her, he'd proposed a partnership—and she'd accepted.

Currently, they were almost finished. He had hooked up his iPod to a portable sound system, set it on shuffle, and was currently listening to "Desert Song" by Def Leppard. The darker tracks and B-sides had always been his favorite, so forget what was on _Hysteria_ except for "Gods of War."

_Besides, _he thought with a faint smirk, _this could very easily be my theme song._

_Only the lonely will stand  
__I'm holding the world in my hand  
__I got to believe_

_Yes, yes I do, _Chris thought. If this worked, they would be millionaires. It _had _to work.

_The sky is falling on this setting sun  
__Echoes of silence ringing loud and long  
__This isolation is the king of pain  
__A lost horizon in an ocean of flames_

_Only the lonely will stand  
__I'm holding the world in my hand  
__I got to believe_

Jeanne looked over at him during the instrumental break. "Do you think this is going to work?" she asked.

"Oh, yes," he replied in a distracted fashion. He was busy focusing on wiring the door to the metal cage, one big enough for an animal the size of a grizzly bear. They were hoping to capture wolves—or humans that shifted into wolves, so it had to be tall enough for either form. Once they figured out the werewolves' secret to transforming, they could develop a serum and sell it on the black market. If it worked, they could morph into wolves themselves—they wouldn't have to be born with the gene to shift.

Chris couldn't wait.

_I've been here before  
__But not as I stand here today  
__I wait for the dawn  
__Ready to move . . . Into the light_


End file.
